Rafnsson, Snorri ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7985-912X, Shankar, Aparna and Steptoe, Andrew (2015) Longitudinal influences of social network characteristics on subjective well-being of older adults: findings from the ELSA study. Journal of Ageing and Health, 27 (5). pp. 919-934. ISSN 0898-2643

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the influence of social network characteristics on subjective well-being over 6 years in a population sample of older adults. Method: A total of 4,116 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Aging provided baseline data on social network characteristics and potential confounding factors, and complete follow-up data on 2 measures of subjective well-being. Results: Social network size and network contact frequency were positively and independently associated with future life satisfaction and quality of life after controlling for confounding factors, including demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and long-standing illness. In contrast, social network diversity was not independently related to future subjective well-being. Conclusion: Different aspects of people's social networks may help sustain levels of subjective well-being in older age. The role of close relationships and frequent contact in later life may be particularly important. These results highlight the need for examining different aspects of social networks for promoting well-being of older people.

Item Type:	Article
Identifier:	10.1177/0898264315572111
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2015, © SAGE Publications. The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council’s Secondary Data Analysis Initiative (Grant ES/K003178/1). The English Longitudinal Study of Aging is funded by the National Institute on Aging (Grants 2RO1AG7644-01A1 and 2RO1AG017644) and by a consortium of U.K. government departments coordinated by the Office for National Statistics. The data are lodged with the U.K. Data Archive.
Keywords:	social networks, subjective well-being, quality of life, English Longitudinal Study of Aging
Subjects:	Medicine and health Psychology Social sciences
Related URLs:	Publisher
Depositing User:	Snorri Rafnsson
Date Deposited:	18 Jul 2020 10:28
Last Modified:	06 Feb 2024 16:03
URI:	https://repository.uwl.ac.uk/id/eprint/7190

Actions (login required)

View Item