Social networks and the support they may provide have been shown to be important determinants of the health of the elderly. This study compares structural and support aspects of those networks in their relationship with self-latings of health among 200 elderly residents of the city of Jerusalem. Perceived social support was found to be a more important predictor of health than were measures of network structure. Further, the relation between support and health was a function of the relation between support and both psychological state and functional status.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Antonucci, T. C. (1990). Social supports and social relationships. In R. Binstock & L. K. George (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences (3rd ed., pp. 205-226). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
2.
Antonucci, T. C. , & Akiyama, H. (1987). Social networks in adult life and a preliminary examination of the convoy model. Journal of Gerontology, 42, 519-527.
3.
Auslander, G. K. , & Litwin, H. (1987). The parameters of social network interventions: A social work application. Social Service Review, 61, 305-318.
4.
Auslander, G. K. , & Litwin, H. (1988). Social networks and the poor: Toward effective policy and practice. Social Work33, 234-238.
5.
Berkman, L. K. (1983). The assessment of social networks and social support in the elderly. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 31, 743-749.
6.
Berkman, L. K. , & Syme, S. L. (1979). Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: A nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents. American Journal of Epidemiology, 109, 186-204.
7.
Biegel, D. E. , & Shore, B. K. (1987). Social network interventions with the elderly: A training program for aging network staff. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 1, 65-86.
8.
Blazer, D. G. (1982). Social support and mortality in an elderly community population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 115, 684-694.
9.
Bott, E. (1957). Family and social network. London: Tavistock.
10.
Chappell, N. L. , & Badger, M. (1989). Social isolation and well-being. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 44, S169-S176.
11.
Cohen, C. I. , Teresi, J., & Holmes, D. (1985). Social networks, stress, adaptation, and health. Research on Aging, 7, 409-431.
12.
Cook, T. D. , & Campbell, D. (1979). Quasi-experimentation: Design and analysis issues for field settings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
13.
Comoni-Huntley, J. C. , Foley, D. F., White, L. R., Suzman, R., Berkman, L. F., Evans, M. A., & Wallace, R. B. (1985). Epidemiology of disability in the oldest old: Methodological issues and preliminary findings. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly/Health and Society, 63, 350-376.
14.
Cutler, S. (1976). Age differences in voluntary association memberships. Social Forces, 55, 43-58.
15.
Dean, A. , Kolodny, B., Wood, P., & Ensel, W. M. (1989). Measuring the communication of social support from adult children. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 44, S71-S79.
16.
Dunkel-Schetter, C. (1984). Social support and cancer: Findings based on patient interviews and their implications. Journal of Social Issues, 40, 77-98.
17.
Edwards, J. R. , & Cooper, C. L. (1988). Research in stress, coping and health: Theoretical and methodological issues [Editorial]. Psychological Medicine, 18, 15-20.
18.
Essex, M. J. , & Klein, M. H. (1989). The importance of the self-concept and coping responses in explaining physical health status and depression among older women. Journal of Aging and Health, 1, 327-348.
19.
Ferraro, K. F. (1980). Self-ratings of health among the old and old-old. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 21, 377-384.
20.
Fillenbaum, G. (1979). Social context and self-assessment of health among the elderly. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 20, 45-51.
21.
Foley, S. H. (1984). Social networks and self-perceptions of health. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Columbia University, New York.
22.
Gallo, F. (1984). Social support networks and the health of elderly persons. Social Work Research and Abstracts, 20, 13-19.
23.
Garrity, T. (1973). Vocational adjustment after first myocardial infarction. Social Science and Medicine, 7, 705-717.
24.
Goldstein, M. S. , Siegel, J. M., & Boyer, R. (1984). Predicting changes in perceived health status. American Journal of Public Health, 74, 611-614.
25.
Gottlieb, B. H. (1981). Preventive interventions involving social networks and social support. In B. H. Gottlieb (Ed.), Social networks and social support (pp. 210-232). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
26.
Hooyman, N. (1983). Social support networks in services to the elderly. In J. Whittaker & J. Garbarino (Eds.), Informal helping in the human services (pp. 133-164). New York: Aldine.
27.
House, J. , & Kahn, R. (1985). Measures and concepts of social support. In S. Cohen & L. Syme (Eds.), Social support and health (pp. 83-108). New York: Academic Press.
28.
House, J. S. , Robbins, C., & Metzner, H. L. (1982). The association of social relationships and activities with mortality: Prospective evidence from the Tecumsah Community Health Study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 116, 123-140.
29.
House, J. S. , Umberson, D., & Landis, K. R. (1988). Structures and processes of social support. Annual Review of Sociology, 14, 293-318.
30.
Ingersoll-Dayton, G. , & Antonucci, T. C. (1988). Reciprocal and nonreciprocal social support: Contrasting sides of intimate relationships. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 43, S65-S73.
31.
Jöreskog, K. G. , & Sörbom, D. (1979). Advances in factor analysis and structural equation models. Cambridge, MA: Abt.
32.
Kahn, R. L. , & Antonucci, T. (1980). Convoys over the life course: Attachment, roles and social support. In P. Baltes & O. B. Brim (Eds.), Life-span development and behavior (pp. 254-283). New York: Academic Press.
33.
Kaplan, G. , Barell, V., & Lusley, A. (1988). Subjective state of health and survival in elderly adults. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 43, S144-S120.
34.
Kaplan, G. A. , & Camacho, T. (1983). Perceived health and mortality: A 9-year follow-up of the Human Population Labs cohort. American Journal of Epidemiology, 117, 292-304.
35.
Kohen, J. A. (1983). Old but not alone: Informal social support among the elderly by marital status and sex. Gerontologist, 23, 57-63.
36.
Kutner, N. (1987). Social ties, social support and perceived health status among chronically disabled people. Social Science and Medicine, 25, 9-34.
37.
Lee, D. J. , & Markides, K. S. (1990). Activity and mortality among aged persons over an eight-year period. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 45, S39-S42.
38.
Lubben, J. E. (1988). Assessing social networks among elderly populations. Journal of Family and Community Health, 8, 42-51.
39.
McLeroy, K. R. , DeVellis, R., DeVellis, B., Kaplan, B., & Toole, J. (1984). Social support and physical recovery in a stroke population. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 1, 395-413.
40.
Minkler, M. (1985). Social support and the health of the elderly. In S. Cohen & S. L. Syme (Eds.), Social support and health (pp. 199-216). Orlando, FL: Academic Press.
41.
Morgan, D. (1988). Age differences in social network participation. Journal of Gerontology, 43, 129-137.
42.
Mossey, J. J. , & Shapiro, E. (1982). Self-rated health: A predictor of mortality among the elderly. American Journal of Public Health, 72, 800-808.
43.
Nagi, S. Z. (1976). An epidemiology of disability among adults in the United States. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly/Health and Society, 54, 439-468.
44.
Norbeck, J. S. (1984). The Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire [Monograph]. Social Support and Families of Vulnerable Infants: Birth Defects Series, 20, 45-57.
45.
Norbeck, J. S. , Lindsey, A. M., & Carrieri, V. L. (1981). The development of an instrument to measure social support. Nursing Research, 30, 264-269.
46.
Orth-Gomer, K. , & Unden, A. (1987). The measurement of social support in populations surveys. Social Science and Medicine, 24, 83-94.
47.
Sauer, W. J. , & Coward, R. T. (Eds.). (1985). Social Support networks and the care of the elderly. New York: Springer.
48.
Schoenbach, V. J. , Kaplan, B. H., Fredman, L., & Kleinbaum, D. G. (1986). Social ties and mortality in Evans County, Georgia. American Journal of Epidemiology, 123, 577-591.
49.
Seeman, T. E. , & Berkman, L. F. (1988). Structural characteristics of social networks and their relationship with social support in the elderly: Who provides support. Social Science and Medicine, 26, 737-745.
50.
Shuval, J. T. , Fleishman, R., & Shmueli, A. (1981). Informal supports for the elderly: Social networks in a Jerusalem neighborhood. Jerusalem: Brookdale.
51.
Stoller, E. P. (1984). Self-assessments of health by the elderly: The impact of informal assistance. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 25, 260-270.
52.
Stoller, E. P. , & Pugliesi, K. L. (1988). Informal networks of community-based elderly. Research on Aging, 10, 499-516.
53.
Thomas, J. L. (1988). Predictors of satisfaction with children's help for younger and older elderly parents. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 43, S9-S14.
54.
Thomas, P. D. , Garry, P. J., Goodwin, J. M., & Goodwin, J. S. (1985). Social bonds in a healthy elderly sample: Characteristics and associated variables. Social Science and Medicine, 20, 365-369.
55.
Townsend, A. L. , & Poulshock, S. W. (1986). International perspectives on impaired elders' support networks. Journal of Gerontology, 41, 101-109.
56.
Ulbrich, P. M. , & Warheit, G. J. (1989). Social support, stress, and psychological distress among older Black and White adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 1, 286-305.
57.
Wan, T.T.H. (1982). Stressful life events, social-support networks, and gerontological health. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
58.
Ware, J. E. (1987). Standards for validating health measures: Definition and content. Journal of Chronic Diseases, 40, 473-480.
59.
Weeks, J. R. , & Cuellar, J. B. (1981). The role of family members in the helping networks of older people. Gerontologist, 21, 388-394.
60.
Weinberger, M. (1987). Assessing social support in elderly adults. Social Science and Medicine, 25, 1049-1055.
61.
Wethington, E. , & Kessler, R. (1987). Perceived support, received support and adjustment to stressful life events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 27, 78-89.
62.
Wilson, R. W. , & Elinson, J. (1981). National Survey of Personal Health Practices and Consequences: Background, conceptual issues and selected findings. Public Health Reports, 96, 218-225.
