Frequent and unregulated use of antimicrobials (AM) in livestock requires public health attention as a likely selection pressure for resistant bacteria. Studies among small-holders, who own a large percentage of the world’s livestock, are vital for understanding how practices involving AM use might influence resistance. We present a cultural-ecological mixed-methods analysis to explore sectors of veterinary care, loosely regulated AM use, and human exposure to AMs through meat and milk consumption across three rural to peri-urban Tanzanian ethnic groups (N = 415 households). Reported use of self-administered AMs varied by ethnic group (Maasai: 74%, Arusha: 21%, Chagga: 1%) as did consultation with professional veterinarians (Maasai: 36%, Arusha: 45%, Chagga: 96%) and observation of withdrawal of meat and milk from consumption during and following AM treatment (Maasai: 7%, Arusha: 72%, Chagga: 96%). The antibiotic oxytetracycline was by far the most common AM in this sample. Within ethnic groups, herd composition differences, particularly size of small-stock and cattle herds, were most strongly associated with differences in lay AM use. Among the Arusha, proxies for urbanization, including owning transportation and reliance on “zero-grazing” herds had the strongest positive associations with veterinarian consultation, while distance to urban centers was negatively associated. For Maasai, consultation was negatively associated with use of traditional healers or veterinary drug-shops. Observation of withdrawal was most strongly associated with owning technology among Maasai while Arusha observance displayed seasonal differences. This “One-Health” analysis suggests that livelihood and cultural niche factors, through their association with practices in smallholder populations, provide insight into the selection pressures that may contribute to the evolution and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance.

Objectives The potential impact of social distancing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic on social isolation and loneliness is of increasing global concern. Although many studies focus primarily on loneliness, patterns of social isolation—particularly physical and digital isolation—are understudied. We examined changes in social isolation, physical isolation, digital isolation, and loneliness in US adults over 50 before and during the lockdown. Methods Two waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a national panel sample of US adults over 50 years old, were used. Fixed-effects regression models were fitted to identify within-person change from 2016 to 2020 to examine the impact of social distancing policies during the pandemic. Results There was an increase in physical isolation and social isolation among respondents during the COVID-19 social distancing policies. However, respondents experienced no change in digital isolation or loneliness. The increase in physical isolation was only present for people with high COVID-19 concern whereas people with low concern experienced no change in physical isolation. Discussion Despite an increase in physical isolation due to the social distancing policies, US adults aged over 50 stayed connected through digital contact and were resilient in protecting themselves from loneliness.

Research suggests social connectedness may help older adults with dementia maintain cognitive functionality and quality of life. However, little is known about its specific social and biological mechanisms. This paper proposes two pathways through social bridging (i.e., cognitive enrichment through expansive social networks) and bonding (i.e., neuroendocrine benefits of integration in cohesive social networks). We provide preliminary evidence for these pathways using neuroimaging, cognitive, and egocentric social network data from the Social Networks and Alzheimer's Disease (SNAD) study (N = 280). We found that network size, density, and presence of weak ties (i.e., social bridging) moderated the association between brain atrophy and cognitive function, while marriage/cohabitation (i.e., social bonding) moderated the association between perceived stress and cognitive function. We argue that social connectedness may have downstream implications for multiple pathophysiological processes in cognitive aging, even negating existing structural damage to the brain, making it a strong candidate for clinical or policy intervention.

Late life is a period frequently marked by decline in personal health and heightened need for social support. Consequently, the social networks in which individuals are embedded assume an increasingly central role in the health and wellbeing of older adults. In the present article, I review the state of the literature on social networks and health in later life. By drawing on insights from the sociology of ageing and the life course, I address new developments and current challenges within the field. Chief among these developments and challenges is the recognition that the ageing process does not occur in a vacuum. Rather, individuals are consistently exposed to numerous changes to their social lives which have strong implications for current and future health outcomes. Upon highlighting the latest innovations within the field of networks and health, I conclude with useful directions for future research.

Objectives Personal network turnover, a combination of lost and added network contacts, is suggested to affect health as well as moderate access to social support and resources. This article tests whether the caregiving process is associated with network turnover in later life and whether the process is different for men and women. Methods Network turnover was assessed using two waves of personal network data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Network contacts were uniquely identified in each wave making it possible to document contact loss and addition. Rates of change were modeled using Poisson regression. Results Respondents transitioning into caregiving lost and added network contacts at higher rates than non-caregivers. Conversely, respondents providing care during both waves and respondents transitioning out of the role saw no significant levels of network turnover. The analysis provided minimal evidence of gender differences. Discussion Findings suggest that the initial shift into the caregiving role is associated with notable personal network change. This is an important consideration given that long-term network instability may lead to poor health and limited access to social resources whereas adaptive network change tends to elicit more positive outcomes.

A large literature emphasizes the importance of social relationships during the caregiving process. Yet these issues are seldom presented in a social network framework that examines the structure of caregivers’ personal networks. In this study, I examine how older caregivers experience changes in personal network structure. Using two waves from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, I investigate whether caregivers are more or less likely to exhibit bridging or bonding capital potential compared to noncaregivers. I find that older adults transitioning into caregiving are more likely to develop the ability to bridge social ties within their personal networks than noncaregivers despite potential constraints in their personal freedom. Caregivers in the latter stages, meanwhile, do not differ from noncaregivers in terms of network change. These findings have implications for older adults’ potential to pool resources across social domains as well as negotiate stress and well-being during the caregiving process.

Background and Objectives Social connectedness has been linked prospectively to cognitive aging, but there is little agreement about the social mechanisms driving this relationship. This study evaluated nine measures of social connectedness, focusing on two forms of social enrichment – access to an expansive and diverse set of loosely connected individuals (i.e., social bridging) and integration in a supportive network of close ties (i.e., social bonding). Research Design and Methods This study used egocentric network and cognitive data from 311 older adults in the Social Networks in Alzheimer Disease (SNAD) study. Linear regressions were used to estimate the association between social connectedness and global cognitive function, episodic memory, and executive function. Results Measures indicative of social bridging (larger network size, lower density, presence of weak ties, and proportion non-kin) were consistently associated with better cognitive outcomes, while measures of social bonding (close ties, multiplex support, higher frequency of contact, better relationship quality, and being married) largely produced null effects. Discussion and Implications These findings suggest that the protective benefits of social connectedness for cognitive function and memory may operate primarily through a cognitive reserve mechanism that is driven by irregular contact with a larger and more diverse group of peripheral others.

No abstract