Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
Health Psychol. 2012 Nov;31(6):789-96. doi: 10.1037/a0026836. Epub 2012 Jan 9.
The quality of one's personal relationships has been linked to morbidity and mortality across different diseases. As a result, it is important to examine more integrative mechanisms that might link relationships across diverse physical health outcomes. In this study, we examine associations between relationships and telomeres that predict general disease risk. These questions are pursued in the context of a more comprehensive model of relationships that highlights the importance of jointly considering positive and negative aspects of social ties.
One hundred thirty-six individuals from a community sample (ages 48 to 77 years) completed the social relationships index, which allows a determination of relationships that differ in their positive and negative substrates (i.e., ambivalent, supportive, aversive, indifferent). Telomere length was determined from peripheral blood mononuclear cells via quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
Participants who had a higher number of ambivalent ties in their social networks evidenced shorter telomeres. These results were independent of other relationship types (e.g., supportive) and standard control variables (e.g., age, health behaviors, and medication use). Gender moderated the links between ambivalent ties and telomere length, with these associations seen primarily in women. Follow-up analyses revealed that the links between ambivalent ties and telomeres were primarily due to friendships, parents, and social acquaintances.
Consistent with epidemiological findings, these data highlight a novel and integrative biological mechanism by which social ties may affect health across diseases and further suggest the importance of incorporating positivity and negativity in the study of specific relationships and physical health.
个人人际关系的质量与各种疾病的发病率和死亡率有关。因此，重要的是要研究更具综合性的机制，这些机制可能将人际关系与各种身体健康结果联系起来。在这项研究中，我们研究了人际关系与端粒之间的关联，这些关联可以预测一般疾病风险。这些问题是在一个更全面的人际关系模型的背景下提出的，该模型强调了共同考虑社会关系的积极和消极方面的重要性。
来自社区样本的 136 名个体（年龄在 48 岁至 77 岁之间）完成了社会关系指数，该指数可以确定在积极和消极基础上有所不同的人际关系（即矛盾、支持、厌恶、冷漠）。通过定量聚合酶链反应从外周血单核细胞中确定端粒长度。
在他们的社交网络中拥有更多矛盾关系的参与者表现出较短的端粒。这些结果独立于其他关系类型（例如支持性）和标准控制变量（例如年龄、健康行为和药物使用）。性别调节了矛盾关系与端粒长度之间的联系，这些关联主要见于女性。后续分析表明，矛盾关系与端粒之间的联系主要归因于友谊、父母和社会熟人。
与流行病学研究结果一致，这些数据突出了一种新的、综合性的生物学机制，即社会关系可能会影响各种疾病的健康状况，并进一步表明在研究特定关系和身体健康时，纳入积极性和消极性的重要性。
