Abstract
This study explores the social network types of older Korean men and women, and the relationship of those networks to depressive symptoms. A population of 4608 older adults who participated in the Living Profiles of Older People Survey (LPOPS) were included in the study. Seven criterion variables—marital status, living arrangements, frequency of contact with children, close friends, and close relatives, participation in social activities, and total network size—were included in a K-means cluster analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of the impact of social network type on depressive symptoms was conducted. We identified two “diverse type” social networks (diverse-married and diverse-unmarried) in women, and one diverse type and one “social-activity-focused type” network in men. Family focused type and two “restricted type” social networks (restricted-couple-focused, and restricted-unmarried) were identified in both men and women. The restricted-unmarried and restricted-couple-focused networks were associated with more depressive symptoms in both men and women. However, the family focused type was associated with more depressive symptoms only in women. The results indicated that social network types, and their impact on depressive symptoms, differ by gender. There is a need for further research on gender differences in the social network types of older adults across diverse cultures.
Highlights
The results indicated that social network types, and their impact on depressive symptoms, differ by gender
There is a need for further research on gender differences in the social network types of older adults across diverse cultures
A social network can be conceived of as a web of social relationships [1] allowing for the transmission of information and providing social support [2]
Summary
A social network can be conceived of as a web of social relationships [1] allowing for the transmission of information and providing social support [2]. Social networks are crucial for successful ageing. A considerable body of research has found that maintenance of social relations in old age is important to prevent depression, functional decline, and mortality, and to maintain cognitive function [3,4,5,6]. The network types and prevalent network types have been different across countries and cultures. Social network typology studies in Europe, North America, and Israel have identified four robust network types based on size of social relations and frequency of contact—diverse, family focused, friend-focused, and restricted [7,9,10,11]
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