Abstract
This paper aims to investigate the causes that explain the discrepancies between the effects of social relationships on health and wellness of the elderly people. Several disciplines of health sciences have developed different theories to explain the evidence that confirm the positive effects of social relations. Furthermore, there is acumuative evidence confirming most of the predictions derived from its principles. However, the empirical evidence has not always confirmed these beneficial relationships and sometimes these evidences contradict some of the theoretical predictions. Even, it is not difficult to find reversed effects. In this paper we follow some of the approaches developed from Social Psychology which analyze the different effects of social relationships on the health of older people. Two types of aspects of social relations have served to this purpose. First, the structural aspects (i.e., frequency of intercourse). Second, qualitative-functional aspects of great tradition in estudies of quality of life and wellbeing of older people (i.e. social support). Following the Convoy Model, we measured perceived social support and frecuency of relationships in 168 spaniards, men and women (aged 62 years old and more). We analyze these discrepancies in the light of the underlying mechanisms.
Highlights
Aspectos estructurales y funcionales del apoyo social y su impacto en la salud objetiva y percibida de los mayores de gran edad
Following some of the approaches developed from Social Psychology, in the present work we analyze the effects of social support on health
The predictors were the four dimensions we obtained from the 2-Way Social Support Scale (Shakespeare-Finch & Obst, 2011), namelly, emotional support given (ESG), emotional support received (ESR), instrumental support given (ISG), and instrumental support received (ISR)
Summary
Aspectos estructurales y funcionales del apoyo social y su impacto en la salud objetiva y percibida de los mayores de gran edad. Nuestro objetivo es aproximarnos a las discrepancias que existen entre los efectos de las relaciones sociales sobre la salud física y la salud percibida de las personas de mayor edad. Siguiendo algunos de los enfoques desarrollados desde la Psicología Social, en este trabajo analizamos los efectos discrepantes de las relaciones sociales sobre la salud de personas de mayor edad. That is a principle that underlies many programs promoting community health and welfare of citizens (Aday et al, 1996; Chamberlain, Fetterman, & Maher, 1994; Sanchez, Saez, & Pinnazo, 2010) This statement is still receiving growing empirical support from different perspectives and scientific traditions (Psychology, Geriatrics, Nursing and remains of health sciences). Two types of properties of social relations have served to this purpose: the qualitative properties of the perceived welfare of older people (i.e., social support) and the structural properties (i.e., frequency of relationships or the number and type of social partners in a network)
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