Social Support Network Size Research Articles

Differential effects of social support and social network on physiological and social outcomes in men and women with Type II diabetes mellitus.

Patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were advised to comply with a complex behavioral regimen of diet and exercise. The relationship between social support satisfaction and social support network size was evaluated using the Social Support Questionnaire for 32 men and 44 women with a confirmed diagnosis of NIDDM. Control of diabetes, as measured by the glycosylated hemoglobin assay, was significantly correlated with social support satisfaction for women but negatively correlated with social support satisfaction for men. Social support network size differentially predicted success in a program for men and women. For women, network size was significantly correlated with failure to attend sessions and with failure to complete a diary. For these women, network size was not significantly correlated with weight loss, which was the goal of the program. For men, network size was correlated with increases in weight, cholesterol, and triglycerides over an 18-month period. We conclude that social support network size and satisfaction have different functions for men and women faced with a serious chronic illness. Network size adversely affects success in a program, whereas social support satisfaction has some benefits for women. The direction of the influence of social network may be determined by the similarity or dissimilarity of network norms to the desired behavior.

Differential effects of social support and social network on physiological and social outcomes in men and women with type II diabetes mellitus.

Patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were advised to comply with a complex behavioral regimen of diet and exercise. The relationship between social support satisfaction and social support network size was evaluated using the Social Support Questionnaire for 32 men and 44 women with a confirmed diagnosis of NIDDM. Control of diabetes, as measured by the glycosylated hemoglobin assay, was significantly correlated with social support satisfaction for women but negatively correlated with social support satisfaction for men. Social support network size differentially predicted success in a program for men and women. For women, network size was significantly correlated with failure to attend sessions and with failure to complete a diary. For these women, network size was not significantly correlated with weight loss, which was the goal of the program. For men, network size was correlated with increases in weight, cholesterol, and triglycerides over an 18-month period. We conclude that social support network size and satisfaction have different functions for men and women faced with a serious chronic illness. Network size adversely affects success in a program, whereas social support satisfaction has some benefits for women. The direction of the influence of social network may be determined by the similarity or dissimilarity of network norms to the desired behavior.

Assessing Social Support as a Prevention Resource:

Social support is popularly regarded as a naturally existing resource that acts to prevent disorder by buffering the effects of stress or by meeting individuals' fundamental needs for meaningful human attachment. The present paper begins by discussing approaches to measuring social support that might be adopted in needs assessment research. A prospective study of 74 young mothers is described to illustrate the use of multiple measures of support in investigating their relationship to birth outcome measures. In this study, direct relationships were found between birth outcome indices and measures of both prenatal negative life events and psychological distress. Social support network size showed stress moderating effects when Apgar scores served as the outcome measure. When the presence of birth complications served as the criterion variable, moderating effects were also found for a support satisfaction measure. The paper closes by examining some implications of this study for needs assessments designed fo...