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Assessing health differences in an elderly population: a five-year follow-up
1Department of Social and Administrative Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
|February 1, 1988
Summary
Elderly individuals with strong social support networks in 1980 experienced better self-rated health five years later. Social connections, age, and financial need predicted subsequent health outcomes in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Social support is crucial for health maintenance in older adults.
- Previous research indicates a link between social factors and health status in the elderly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the longitudinal effects of social support and demographic variables on health status in elderly residents.
- To identify predictors of self-rated health over a five-year period in an aging population.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study recontacting several hundred elderly residents of Alameda County after five years.
- Statistical analysis to determine the relationship between 1980 social support resources, demographic variables, and subsequent self-rated health.
Main Results:
- Social support resources in 1980 were strongly associated with self-rated health five years later.
- Social contacts, age, and financial need predicted subsequent health status in nearly two-thirds of cases.
- The impact of acute stressors like a spouse's illness on health was time-limited, disappearing as a predictor in the longitudinal analysis.
Conclusions:
- Social support plays a vital role in health maintenance and disease prevention among the elderly.
- Intervention strategies should focus on strengthening social networks for older adults at risk of isolation.
- Demographic factors and social integration are key determinants of long-term health in aging populations.