Contingent association between the size of the social support network and osteoporosis among Korean elderly women

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the number of personal ties (or the size of the social support network) and the incidence of osteoporosis among older women in Korea.MethodsData from the Korean Urban Rural Elderly Study were used. Bone density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine (L1–L4) and femur neck. T-score, the standardized bone density compared with what is normally expected in a healthy young adult, was measured and the presence of osteoporosis was determined, if the T-score was < -2.5. The social support network size was measured by self-responses (number of confidants and spouse).ResultsOf the 1,846 participants, 44.9% were diagnosed with osteoporosis. The association between the social support network size and the incidence of osteoporosis was curvilinear in both bivariate and multivariate analyses. Having more people in one’s social support network size was associated with lower risk of osteoporosis until it reached around four. Increasing the social support network size beyond four, in contrast, was associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis. This association was contingent on the average intimacy level of the social network. At the highest average intimacy level (“extremely close”), increasing the number of social support network members from one to six was associated with linear decrease in the predicted probability of osteoporosis from 45% to 30%. However, at the lowest average intimacy level (“not very close”), the predicted probability of osteoporosis dramatically increased from 48% to 80% as the size of the social network increased from one to six.ConclusionOur results show that maintaining a large and intimate social support network is associated with a lower risk of osteoporosis among elderly Korean women, while a large but less-intimate social relationship is associated with a higher risk.

The Influence of Social Isolation on the Preventive Behaviors for Non-Communicable Diseases in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Japan

“…In this study, bone density in those without social participation was significantly lower than in those with social participation, a finding consistent with previous studies such as Lee et al, which indicated that a lack of social relationships increases the risk of osteoporosis [26]. A harmful lifestyle, such as having an inadequate dietary intake of calcium, vitamin D, and protein; physical inactivity; smoking; and lower estrogen secretions, especially after menopause, are known to be risk factors for bone-related issues [27][28][29].…”

The differential effects of type and frequency of social participation on IADL declines of older people

“…Because participating in hobby clubs is about doing what one loves, frequent participation in hobby clubs is quite unlikely to place psychological stress on participants. Furthermore, women are more sensitive to closeness with the members of their network than men, and the intimacy of human relationships has a greater effect on health for women than for men [45,46]. Because members of hobby clubs share a common interest, they are more likely to open up to one another and achieve an intimate relationship than those involved in other types of SP.…”

Rethinking of osteoporosis through a sex- and gender-informed approach in the COVID-19 era

“…They showed that social support when was manageable in size decreased rates of stress and depression, both factors associated to bone loss. 65 Furthermore, a large longitudinal study in a Southern European population studied the incidence rate and risk factors for hip fracture, both in males and females. They observed a higher proportion of illiteracy and depression with a significantly greater hip fracture rate in females than in males.…”