The social relations-physical health connection: a comparison of elderly samples from the United States and Japan

Cross-national comparison of the social relations-physical health association in the elderly can broaden our understanding of the implications of social relationships in this age group. Using representative cross-sectional samples of adults aged 60-93 years from metropolitan areas in the United States and Japan (n = 1005), we used analysis of variance to examine between-country differences in the association of illness with measures of network structure, social support, and negative relations. One significant between-country difference in this association was found: in Japan only, ill women reported more available financial help from their child than did non-ill women (p < .05). Ill women in both countries reported less sick care available from their spouse than did ill men (p < .05) and more negative relations with their child than did non-ill women (p < .05). These results suggest the primacy of gender, rather than cultural context, in shaping the association between social relations and health.