Social Relations, Age and Health

描述（由申请人提供）：医学的进步增加了几年的生活，但不是生活年，促使巴特勒（1975年; 2002年）问困扰的问题：为什么在美国生存？在这个修订后的应用程序中，它提出了整个生命周期的社会关系提供了一个重要的生活质量的来源。经验证据表明，社会关系对健康和福祉有很大的贡献，特别是在老年人中（国家研究理事会，2001年; Seeman和Rummins，2001年）。尽管有这些证据，但对人际关系如何影响健康的了解要少得多。社会关系的联系模型（Antonucci，2001; Kahn & Antonucci，1980）的发展提供了一个有用的启发式框架，以详细说明社会关系的特征以及影响其发展和与健康相关的个人和情境因素。最近，一项封闭队列纵向研究的数据已经可用，这是对最近修改为包括压力和自我效能的联系模型进行广泛检查的理想选择。1993年从底特律地区抽取了一个具有代表性的样本，年龄在8岁到93岁之间（N=1703），2005年又抽取了一个，年龄在20岁到100岁之间（N=1076）。我们提出了四个具体目标：1。在老年人和整个生命周期中，从横截面（使用第2波数据）和纵向（从第1波到第2波预测）检查Conventional模型。2.通过研究社会关系在压力/健康关联中的缓冲作用和自我效能在社会关系/健康关联中的中介作用，探讨概念性联系模型的两个含义。3.通过使用柏林老龄化研究（BASE）数据进行平行分析，考虑Conventional模型的跨国推广性。这项对柏林70岁以上人群的独特纵向研究包括多个波和许多平行的Conventional测量。4.通过审查由高度紧张的老年受访者提名的核心网络成员的独立报告，扩展Conventional模型。这将首次提供有关紧张时期车队运作和福祉的多种视角。 总之，拟议的研究提供了一个前所未有的机会来研究社会关系如何影响健康和福祉。在政府资源日益减少的时候，最大限度地增加支持车队可能对提供意义、目的和福祉尤其重要，从而随着人们年龄的增长而增强健康。最终，这项工作应该有助于为我们的老年人增添活力，并帮助负责为老年人和关心他们的家庭制定法律的政策制定者。 公共卫生相关性：重要的科学证据证明了社会关系对健康的潜在影响，包括心血管疾病、癌症和死亡率。众所周知，由于资源减少、家庭结构和人口结构的变化，包括婴儿潮一代的老龄化，我们正面临重大的社会和经济挑战。这项研究的结果有可能通过确定一种对健康产生积极影响的重要自然资源：密切的社会关系，为公共卫生和政策做出重大贡献。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Medical advances have added years to life but not life to years, prompting Butler (1975; 2002) to ask the haunting question: Why Survive in America? In this revised application, it is proposed that social relations across the life span provide one important source of life quality. Empirical evidence indicates that social relations significantly contribute to health and well-being, especially in old age (National Research Council, 2001; Seeman & Crimmins, 2001). Despite this evidence, there is much less knowledge of how relationships influence health. The Convoy Model of Social Relations (Antonucci, 2001; Kahn & Antonucci, 1980) was developed to provide a useful heuristic framework to detail characteristics of social relations as well as those individual and situational factors which influence both their development and association with health. Data from a closed cohort longitudinal study have recently become available which are ideal for an extensive examination of the Convoy Model, recently modified to include stress and self-efficacy. A representative sample from the Detroit area was drawn in 1993 of people ages 8 to 93 (N=1703) and again in 2005 when they were aged 20 to 100 (N=1076). We propose four specific aims: 1. To examine the Convoy Model cross-sectionally (using Wave 2 data), and longitudinally (predicting from Wave 1 to Wave 2) among older people and across the life span. 2. To investigate two implications of the conceptual Convoy Model by examining the buffering role of social relations in the stress/health association and the mediating role of self-efficacy in the social relations/health association both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. 3. To consider the cross-national generalizability of the Convoy Model by conducting parallel analyses using the Berlin Aging Study (BASE) data. This unique longitudinal study of people in Berlin from 70 years of age includes multiple waves and many parallel Convoy measures. 4. To extend the Convoy Model by examining the independent reports of core network members nominated by highly stressed older respondents. This will, for the first time, provide multiple perspectives concerning convoy functioning and well-being during stressful times. In sum, the proposed research affords an unprecedented opportunity to examine how social relations affect health and well-being. At a time when government resources are dwindling, maximizing supportive convoys may be especially important for providing meaning, purpose, and well-being thus enhancing health as people age. Ultimately, this work should help add life to our older years and aid policy makers charged with developing laws for older people and the families who care about them. Public Health Relevance: Significant scientific evidence documents the potent effect of social relations on health including cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality. It is well known that we are facing significant social and economic challenges due to reduced resources, changing family structures and demographics, including the aging of the Baby Boomers. The findings from this study have the potential to make significant public health and policy contributions by identifying an important, natural resource that positively influences health: close social relations.