Abstract:The growing evidence linking social connectedness and chronic diseases such as cancer calls for a better understanding of the underlying biophysiological mechanisms. This study assessed the associations between social network ties and multiple measures of inflammation in a nationally representative sample of adults with a history of cancer (N = 1,075) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (1988–94). Individuals with lower social network index (SNI) scores showed significantly greater in… Show more
“…For example, individuals in small social networks who have limited social support may be more likely to participate in adverse health behaviors, such as cigarette smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, and substance abuse [41] . There are also associations between social isolation and both psychological and physiological stress (e.g., dysfunction of platelets and endothelium, increased markers of chronic inflammation, and increased activity of the neuroendocrine system) [16] , [42] . Hence, further study of the biological and social mechanisms through which support from social networks may protect against age-related neurologic disease is needed.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Thus, a total of 3294 participants were available for cross-sectional analysis of association between social relationships and BDNF, 1834 participants were available for retrospective analyses of association with dementia, and 3210 participants were available for retrospective analyses of association with stroke. On the basis of the effect sizes observed in a previous study that examined association between social relationships and biomarkers of inflammation among 1075 participants, we estimated that it would be possible to detect a small effect size (>8% change in BDNF levels at the alpha level of 0.001) given a sample of more than 3000 participants [16] . Fig.…”
IntroductionMechanisms underlying social determinants of stroke and dementia are unclear and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may contribute as a molecular link.MethodsUsing the Framingham Study, we examined social relationship measures as predictors of higher serum BDNF level and cumulative incidence of stroke and dementia.ResultsAmong 3294 participants, controlling for age and sex, isolation trended with lower BDNF (odds ratio = 0.69 [0.47–1.00]). Participants with more companionship had reduced risk for stroke (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.59 [0.41–0.83]) and dementia (HR = 0.67 [0.49–0.92]). Greater emotional support was associated with higher BDNF (odds ratio = 1.27 [1.04–1.54]), reduced dementia risk (HR = 0.69 [0.51–0.94], and among smokers, reduced stroke risk (HR = 0.23 [0.10–0.57]). Associations persisted after additional adjustments. BDNF partly mediated the total effect between emotional support and dementia risk.ConclusionsAvailability of social support appears to be associated with increased BDNF levels and, in certain subsets, reduce risk of subsequent dementia and stroke, thus warranting study of these pathways to understand their role in neuroprotection.
“…For example, individuals in small social networks who have limited social support may be more likely to participate in adverse health behaviors, such as cigarette smoking, poor diet, physical inactivity, and substance abuse [41] . There are also associations between social isolation and both psychological and physiological stress (e.g., dysfunction of platelets and endothelium, increased markers of chronic inflammation, and increased activity of the neuroendocrine system) [16] , [42] . Hence, further study of the biological and social mechanisms through which support from social networks may protect against age-related neurologic disease is needed.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Thus, a total of 3294 participants were available for cross-sectional analysis of association between social relationships and BDNF, 1834 participants were available for retrospective analyses of association with dementia, and 3210 participants were available for retrospective analyses of association with stroke. On the basis of the effect sizes observed in a previous study that examined association between social relationships and biomarkers of inflammation among 1075 participants, we estimated that it would be possible to detect a small effect size (>8% change in BDNF levels at the alpha level of 0.001) given a sample of more than 3000 participants [16] . Fig.…”
IntroductionMechanisms underlying social determinants of stroke and dementia are unclear and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) may contribute as a molecular link.MethodsUsing the Framingham Study, we examined social relationship measures as predictors of higher serum BDNF level and cumulative incidence of stroke and dementia.ResultsAmong 3294 participants, controlling for age and sex, isolation trended with lower BDNF (odds ratio = 0.69 [0.47–1.00]). Participants with more companionship had reduced risk for stroke (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.59 [0.41–0.83]) and dementia (HR = 0.67 [0.49–0.92]). Greater emotional support was associated with higher BDNF (odds ratio = 1.27 [1.04–1.54]), reduced dementia risk (HR = 0.69 [0.51–0.94], and among smokers, reduced stroke risk (HR = 0.23 [0.10–0.57]). Associations persisted after additional adjustments. BDNF partly mediated the total effect between emotional support and dementia risk.ConclusionsAvailability of social support appears to be associated with increased BDNF levels and, in certain subsets, reduce risk of subsequent dementia and stroke, thus warranting study of these pathways to understand their role in neuroprotection.
“…However, such outcomes might differ among non-religious individuals, or with respect to different types of social groups more generally. A better understanding of the underlying physiological processes, and in particular inflammatory processes, that might be implicated would also provide further insights into the mechanisms underlying such relations [ 46 ]. It is possible that effective coping methods are associated with diminished levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines or high levels of anti-inflammatory factors, which have been linked to social ties in previous research [ 76 ] [ 77 ] [ 78 ].…”
Section: Studymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…One pathway through which social identities may be related to physical (and mental) health conditions is chronic inflammation. In this regard, several studies have demonstrated that social factors such as isolation, loneliness, and fewer social network ties are associated with greater inflammation reflected by elevated C-reactive protein or levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor-necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in adults with cancer, those at risk for developing cardiovascular disease, and in the general population [ 41 ] [ 42 ] [ 43 ] [ 44 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ]. Of course, mental and physical health are inextricably linked, as so many of the same inflammatory processes acting on physical health also affect psychological symptoms.…”
The present research explored whether components of social identity, namely ingroup ties, affect, and centrality, were differentially linked to mental health and inflammatory immune responses, and whether rumination mediated those relations. Study 1 (N = 138) indicated that stronger ingroup ties were associated with fewer mental health (depressive and post-traumatic stress) symptoms; those relations were mediated by the tendency for individuals with strong ties to rely less on ruminative coping to deal with a stressful life event. Study 2 (N = 54) demonstrated that ingroup ties were negatively associated with depressive symptoms, dispositional rumination, as well as stress-linked inflammatory elements at the physiological level. Consistent associations for centrality and ingroup affect were absent, suggesting that ingroup ties may have unique health benefits.
“…Being socially connected to those who can provide different types of support ensures a stable social network . There is a robust literature on how elements of social support like marital status, social integration, and social network size contribute to cancer outcomes .…”
This study used a new method to identify the breadth and strength of social support following a diagnosis of breast cancer, especially examining the role of patient navigators in providing support. While navigators were only included in one quarter of patient support networks, they did provide essential supports to some individuals. Health care providers and systems need to better understand the contributions of social supports both within and outside of health care to design and tailor interventions that seek to reduce health care disparities and improve cancer outcomes.
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