Social Network Types and Health among Older Adults in Rural China: The Mediating Role of Social Support.

Xinping Zhang,Liping Ye

doi:10.3390/ijerph16030410

Abstract

This study aimed to identify social network types among older adults in rural China, to explore the relationship between social network types and the health of the older adults, and further, to examine the mediating role of social support in this relationship. A cross-sectional survey method was employed to investigate the health of adults aged 60 or older in rural areas of Hubei Province from 5 September 2018 to 15 October 2018; 405 samples were obtained. First, using k-means clustering analysis, we found five robust network types: diverse, restricted, family, friends and a specific type—family-restricted. Second, the results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that social network types were significantly associated with depressive symptoms and self-rated health in older adults. Older people with diverse friend networks were significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, whereas those with restricted and family-restricted networks were significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and lower levels of self-rated health. Finally, the results of multiple linear regression analysis confirmed that social support partially mediated the association of the identified social network types with depressive symptoms and self-rated health. Enriching the social network relationships of older adults and providing them with more social support should be conducive to promoting their mental and physical health.

Highlights

Social network relationships are considered to be an important factor affecting the health of older adults, and this view has been confirmed by many scholars [1,2,3]
To examine whether social support played a mediating role in the relationship between the social network types and health, we first conducted multiple linear regression analysis with social support as the dependent variable and social network types as the independent variables to see whether the social network types were significantly associated with social support
This study used a cross-sectional survey approach to obtain data on the social network relationships of rural older adults and successfully identified five robust social network types: diverse, restricted, family, friends, and a specific type—family-restricted—that has not been previously described. These social network types were significantly associated with depressive symptoms and self-rated health

Summary

Introduction

Social network relationships are considered to be an important factor affecting the health of older adults, and this view has been confirmed by many scholars [1,2,3]. Older adults can obtain friendship, support, relief, etc. Older adults who have lost the ability to take care of themselves, temporarily or for life, have a high degree of spiritual and material dependence on their social network members, and they require even more social support from these members [4]. Social network relationships are of central importance to older adults. The method of researching social network types was first proposed and used by Wenger; it initially identified five social network types in England and Wales, and served as diagnostic criteria for social work practice in older adults [5,6]. Litwin effectively improved this method through a series of

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion