The impact of social support networks on adult health

Knowledge of the determinants of adult health offers important implications for planning policy that may affect the overall level of health and thus the costs of health care. One potentially important factor that has not been incorporated in previous research is the amount of information individuals have concerning health care or methods of preventive care. This study uses the number of social support networks and the degree of contact individuals have with them as an alternative measure of information. This measure of information is incorporated into an economic model based partly on Becker's Human Capital framework. Social support networks are found to have virtually no impact in explaining health outcomes for illnesses over which the individual has little control. However, when a broader range of illnesses is considered, social support networks do play a role in producing better health.