Would more social partners leads to enhanced health? The paradox between quantity and quality

Effect of online and offline social network group clusters on life satisfaction across age groups

Background

Positive social relationships are critical for better subjective well-being across ages. Future research will benefit from examining how to improve life satisfaction by utilizing social groups in new, ever-changing social and technological contexts. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of online and offline social network group clusters on life satisfaction across different age groups.

Methods

Data were derived from the Chinese Social Survey (CSS) (2019), which is a nationally representative survey. We adopted a K-mode cluster analysis algorithm to categorize participants into four clusters according to their online and offline social network groups. ANOVA and chi-square analysis were used to understand the associations among age groups, social network group clusters, and life satisfaction. Multiple linear regression was applied to identify the association between social network group clusters and life satisfaction across age groups.

Results

Younger and older adults had higher life satisfaction than middle-aged adults. Individuals who joined diverse social network groups had the highest life satisfaction, followed by those who joined personal and working social groups, while those who joined restricted social groups had the lowest life satisfaction (F = 81.19, p < 0.001). According to the results of multiple linear regression, individuals who belonged to diverse social groups had higher life satisfaction than those who belonged to restricted social groups among adults aged 18-59 years, except students (p < 0.05). Individuals who joined personal and working social groups had higher life satisfaction than those who joined restricted social groups among adults aged 18-29 and 45-59 years (β = 2.15, p < 0.01; β = 1.45, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Interventions to promote participation in diverse social network groups among adults aged 18-59 years, except for students, are highly recommended to improve life satisfaction. Health practitioners could provide interventions to encourage young and middle-aged adults to join both personal and working social groups.

Social support network, social support, self-efficacy, health-promoting behavior and healthy aging among older adults: A pathway analysis

AIMS

To determine the pattern of relationships among social support network, social support, self-efficacy, health-promoting behavior and healthy aging in older adults.

METHODS

Totally, 485 community-dwelling participants aged 60 years and older were recruited from four districts of Beijing, China. Data were obtained from July to November, 2017 using a questionnaire containing general information items, the Lubben Social Network Scale-18, the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey-Chinese version, the Self-rated Abilities for Health Practices Scale, the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II and a Healthy Aging Instrument. Path analysis was applied to examine the pattern of relationships between one's social support network and healthy aging.

RESULTS

The influence of a neighbor network on healthy aging was stronger than that of a family and friend network. Friend network had greater impact than family network on health-promoting behavior and self-efficacy. However, support from family members had a stronger effect than friend support and neighbor support on health-promoting behavior, self-efficacy and healthy aging. Furthermore, the finding revealed that self-efficacy had the stronger effect on healthy aging than that of health-promoting behavior.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrate that one's social support network plays an important role in promoting healthy aging. In China, medical and human resources for community healthcare systems are often limited. We propose that community nurses, as the "gatekeepers" to the healthcare system, should actively collaborate with older adults' social network resources to promote healthy aging. Moreover, nurses should develop efficient programs which focus on the ways of improving self-efficacy.