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Social network assessment in community-dwelling older persons: results from a study of three European populations

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Abstract

Background and aims: In clinical practice, the status of living alone is often used as the only measure describing an older person’s social network. We evaluated whether additional use of a brief social network measure provides relevant additional information in relation to social support and engagement. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 6982 community-dwelling adults 65 years or older living in London, UK; Hamburg, Germany; and Solothurn, Switzerland. Data were collected using the self-administered multidimensional Health Risk Appraisal Questionnaire. Multivariate models were used to analyse adjusted correlations between the two measures of social network (living alone status, risk for social isolation with marginal family and friend network subscales) and potential consequences of inadequate social network (marginal emotional or instrumental support, lack of social engagement). Results: Living alone status was more strongly associated with marginal instrumental support [OR=7.6 (95% CI 6.3, 9.1)] than with marginal emotional support [OR=4.2 (95% CI 3.4, 5.1)], and showed no statistically significant association with lack of social engagement [OR=0.9 (95% CI 0.8, 1.0)]. Risk of social isolation was more strongly related to marginal emotional support [OR=6.6 (95% CI 5.4, 8.0)] than to marginal instrumental support [OR=3.3 (95% CI 2.8, 4.0)], and was moderately related to lack of social engagement [OR=2.9 (95% CI 2.5, 3.4]. Marginal family and friend network subscales showed consistent and unique associations with social support and social engagement. Conclusion: Findings suggest that living alone status and a brief measure of social network identifies distinctive at-risk groups and potential pathways for intervention. Geriatric assessment programs including both social network measures may provide useful information about potentially modifiable social network risks in older persons.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geriatrics, Inselspital University of Bern Hospital, Bern, Switzerland

    Eva Blozik, Jan T. Wagner, Andreas E. Stuck MD & Kerri M. Clough-Gorr

  2. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Eva Blozik, Jan T. Wagner, Gerhard Gillmann & Kerri M. Clough-Gorr

  3. Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University College London, Hampstead Campus, London, United Kingdom

    Eva Blozik & Steve Iliffe

  4. Albertinen-Haus Geriatrics Centre, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Wolfgang von Renteln-Kruse

  5. School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA

    James Lubben

  6. School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    John C. Beck

  7. Langley Research Institute, Pacific Palisades, CA, USA

    John C. Beck

  8. University Department of Geriatrics, Spital Netz Bern Ziegler, Morillonstrasse 75-91, CH-3001, Bern, Switzerland

    Andreas E. Stuck MD & Kerri M. Clough-Gorr

  9. Geriatrics Section, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Kerri M. Clough-Gorr

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  1. Eva Blozik
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  2. Jan T. Wagner
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  3. Gerhard Gillmann
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  4. Steve Iliffe
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  5. Wolfgang von Renteln-Kruse
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  6. James Lubben
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  7. John C. Beck
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  8. Andreas E. Stuck MD
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  9. Kerri M. Clough-Gorr
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Correspondence to Andreas E. Stuck MD.

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Blozik, E., Wagner, J.T., Gillmann, G. et al. Social network assessment in community-dwelling older persons: results from a study of three European populations. Aging Clin Exp Res 21, 150–157 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325223

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325223

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