Dong XinQi, Chang E-Shien
Chinese Health, Aging, and Policy Program, Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Chicago, IL, USA.
Gerontology. 2017;63(3):238-252. doi: 10.1159/000455043. Epub 2017 Jan 19.
Social network research has become central to studies of health and aging. Its results may yield public health insights that are actionable and improve the quality of life of older adults. However, little is known about the social networks of older immigrant adults, whose social relationships often develop in the context of migration, compounded by cultural and linguistic barriers.
This report aims to describe the structure, composition, and emotional components of social networks in the Chinese aging population of the USA, and to explore ways in which their social networks may be critical to their health decision-making.
Our data come from the PINE study, a population-based epidemiological study of community-dwelling older Chinese American adults, aged 60 years and above, in the greater Chicago area. We conducted individual interviews in participants' homes from 2011 until 2013. Based on sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, this study computed descriptive statistics and trend tests for the social network measures adapted from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project study.
The findings show that older Chinese adults have a relatively small social network in comparison with their counterparts from other ethnic and racial backgrounds. Only 29.6% of the participants could name 5 close network members, and 2.2% could name 0 members. Their network composition was more heavily kin oriented (95.0%). Relationships with network members differed according to the older adults' sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Subgroup variations included the likelihood of discussing health-related issues with network members.
This study highlights the dynamic nature of social networks in later-life Chinese immigrants. For healthcare practitioners, developing cost-effective strategies that can mobilize social network support remains a critical undertaking in health intervention. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the causal impact of social networks on various domains of health.
社交网络研究已成为健康与老龄化研究的核心内容。其研究结果可能会产生可付诸行动的公共卫生见解，并改善老年人的生活质量。然而，对于老年移民成年人的社交网络，我们知之甚少，他们的社会关系往往在移民背景下发展，还受到文化和语言障碍的影响。
本报告旨在描述美国华裔老年人群体社交网络的结构、组成和情感成分，并探讨其社交网络对健康决策可能至关重要的方式。
我们的数据来自PINE研究，这是一项基于人群的流行病学研究，对象是大芝加哥地区60岁及以上居住在社区的华裔美国老年人。从2011年到2013年，我们在参与者家中进行了个人访谈。基于社会人口统计学和社会经济特征，本研究对从国家社会生活、健康和老龄化项目研究中改编而来的社交网络测量指标进行了描述性统计和趋势测试。
研究结果表明，与其他种族和族裔背景的同龄人相比，华裔老年人的社交网络相对较小。只有29.6%的参与者能说出5个亲密的网络成员，2.2%的参与者一个成员也说不出。他们的网络组成更倾向于亲属关系（95.0%）。与网络成员的关系因老年人的社会人口统计学和社会经济特征而异。亚组差异包括与网络成员讨论健康相关问题的可能性。
本研究突出了老年华裔移民社交网络的动态性质。对于医疗从业者来说，制定能够调动社交网络支持的经济有效策略仍然是健康干预中的一项关键任务。需要进行纵向研究来检验社交网络对健康各个领域的因果影响。
