Connecting social environment variables to the onset of major specific health outcomes
Patrick L Hill, Sara J Weston, Joshua J Jackson
*Psychology & Health*
Abstract
The present research examined the effects of the social environment on the onset of specific health ailments. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined participants' responses to social environment questions in 2006 as predictors of onset of different health conditions over the next four years.
What we did
Having good relationships is linked to better health, but the details are murkier. We wanted to know whether particular parts of the social environment are linked to particular health problems. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we started with 7,514 people who were healthy in 2006. They reported on the number of social partners, how often they interacted with them, and the positive and negative support they received from family and from friends. We used these measures to predict who had developed each of seven conditions by 2010: high blood pressure, heart condition, lung disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.
What we found
The social environment had some predictive value for most of the conditions. More positive and less negative support tended to go with lower odds of onset. Measures tied to friendships played a larger role than those tied to family. No social variable helped across the board, and the social measures were of little use for predicting chronic conditions.
Because these data are observational, we cannot say that support protects health. The pattern does suggest that our social lives may matter for later health, in ways that differ by condition.
This summary is based on the published abstract.