Social networks and health in later life: a state of the literature

Abstract

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.

Physical distancing is related to fewer electronic and in-person contacts and to increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic among older Europeans

“…On the one hand, maintaining physical distance can protect them from infections and potentially save their lives [5]. On the other hand, social contacts are a fundamental human need, with far-reaching effects on health and well-being [6][7][8][9][10], and prolonged social isolation increasing the risk of loneliness [11,12]. Physical distancing guidelines may hamper the ability of older adults to maintain in-person contact with their loved ones, resulting in increased loneliness [13,14].…”

Leisure activities and instrumental activities of daily living: A 3‐year cohort study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

“…14 Furthermore, engaging in activities with other people may be associated with the beneficial health effects that are known to be associated with social interactions. 28 This effect may be significant for non-physical leisure activities. Engagement in solitary activities may help to preserve IADL even if these activities do not involve physical activity or social interaction.…”

Sufro una grave enfermedad rara. Reto a cantar y hacer coreografías en TikTok

“…Diversas investigaciones tratan el uso de las redes sociales en la atención medica online (Hawn, 2009;Veningston et al, 2020;Bi et al, 2020;Ben-Aharon et al, 2020) y profundizan en la relevancia que estas ofrecen para generar conocimiento e identidad colectiva en el discurso social de la salud (Armayones et al, 2015;Roth, 2020;Rodríguez-Orgaz, 2020). Los grupos de Facebook, por ejemplo, se han convertido en un canal popular para la concienciación, la recaudación de fondos y la búsqueda de apoyo en distintos tipos de cáncer (Bender;Jiménez-Marroquín;Jadad, 2011;Maganty et al, 2018).…”