Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Indiana University Network Science Institute, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Sociol Health Illn. 2020 Sep;42(7):1642-1656. doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.13155. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
Late life is a period frequently marked by decline in personal health and heightened need for social support. Consequently, the social networks in which individuals are embedded assume an increasingly central role in the health and wellbeing of older adults. In the present article, I review the state of the literature on social networks and health in later life. By drawing on insights from the sociology of ageing and the life course, I address new developments and current challenges within the field. Chief among these developments and challenges is the recognition that the ageing process does not occur in a vacuum. Rather, individuals are consistently exposed to numerous changes to their social lives which have strong implications for current and future health outcomes. Upon highlighting the latest innovations within the field of networks and health, I conclude with useful directions for future research.
晚年通常是个人健康状况下降和社会支持需求增加的时期。因此，个体所嵌入的社会网络在老年人的健康和幸福中扮演着越来越重要的角色。在本文中，我回顾了关于晚年社会网络和健康的文献状况。通过借鉴老龄化社会学和生命历程的观点，我探讨了该领域的新发展和当前挑战。其中最重要的发展和挑战是认识到，衰老过程并非在真空中发生。相反，个体不断面临着对其社会生活的诸多变化，这些变化对当前和未来的健康结果有着重要的影响。在强调网络和健康领域的最新创新之后，我为未来的研究提供了有用的方向。
