Tracking Egocentric Social Network Change Across Three Rounds of National Survey Data

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sociology
• Social Network Analysis

Background:

• The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) collected data on older adults' social networks over 10 years.
• Three rounds of data were collected, detailing network composition and changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the structure of social network data collection in NSHAP.
• To present available data on older adults' egocentric social networks.
• To explain survey techniques for tracking network changes over time.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive statistics for network size, composition, and structure across three data rounds.
• Analysis of respondent-level changes in network characteristics.
• Explanation of data cleaning procedures for network changes.

Main Results:

• NSHAP data reveal considerable overlap in confidants named across study rounds.
• Round 3 networks predominantly consist of new confidants for returning participants.
• The network change module offers reliable insights into evolving social ties.

Conclusions:

• Older adults' social networks are dynamic, with significant turnover in members.
• These findings offer new insights into network changes in later life.
• Future research directions and data limitations are discussed.