The rrelationships between the social support and social network of the elderly living in an under-populated region

这项研究的目的是考察居住在人口稀少地区的人们的社会支持网络的规模和结构。社交网络被分为5类：共住家庭、非共住家庭、近邻、亲密朋友和社区团体。调查问卷发放给了居住在福岛县人口稀少地区金山的20岁及以上的人。主要研究结果如下：(1)提供支持网络的规模大于接受支持网络的规模。(2)情感支持的规模大于工具性支持的规模。(3)邻近地点与工具性支持的数量密切相关。(4)支持提供者的位置不影响情感支持的数量。(5)工具性支持和情感支持主要在同居家庭成员之间交换。在没有得到满足的情况下，依赖于其他家庭成员、邻居、朋友和正式的支持。(6)家庭成员的数量和对社会活动的参与度对网络的大小有很大影响。

The purpose of this study is to examine a size and structure of social support network of the people who live in an under-populated region. Social networks were classified into 5 categories: co-resident families, non-co-resident families, close neighbors, close friends and community groups. Questionnaires were given to those aged 20 and over who live in Kaneyama, an under-populated region of Fukushima prefecture. The final sample consisted of 297 respondents.Major findings are as follows:(1) The size of the providing support network was larger than the receiving support network.(2) The size of emotional support was larger than that of instrumental support.(3)The neighboring location was strongly related to the amount of instrumental support.(4) The location of the support providers' was not effected the amount of emotional support(5) Both instrumental and emotional support were mainly exchanged between co-living family member. In the case the needs were not fulfilled with them, they depended on other family members, neighbors, friends and the formal support.(6)The number of the family member and participation to the social activity were strongly effected to the size of network.