Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
Network Science Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2022 Mar 3;77(3):626-635. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbab103.
Personal networks play a fundamental role in the daily lives of older adults. Although many studies examine how life course factors and personal preferences shape network formation, fewer consider how the places in which older adults live present opportunities and obstacles to cultivate social relationships. In the present study, we explore how geographic context is associated with the ability to bridge social ties within one's personal network.
We use data from the Person-to-Person Health Interview Survey (N = 709), a representative sample of Indiana residents. Personal network data were collected using 4 name-generating prompts. Logistic regression models and linear regression models were used to assess 2 measures of network bridging.
A minority of respondents reported the ability to bridge ties within their networks. Respondents residing in rural and mixed counties were less likely than urban respondents to have at least one member of their network who was completely disconnected from all other members.
These findings suggest that the communities in which older adults live condition opportunities for accessing unique network resources. Additional research adopting a network perspective is needed to provide insight into geographic disparities occurring among the older population.
个人网络在老年人的日常生活中起着至关重要的作用。尽管许多研究都探讨了生活轨迹因素和个人偏好如何塑造网络的形成，但很少有研究考虑到老年人居住的地方如何为培养社会关系提供机会和障碍。在本研究中，我们探讨了地理背景如何与在个人网络中建立社会联系的能力相关联。
我们使用了来自印第安纳州居民的代表性样本 Person-to-Person Health Interview Survey（N=709）的数据。使用 4 个名称生成提示收集个人网络数据。使用逻辑回归模型和线性回归模型评估了 2 种网络桥接措施。
少数受访者报告说有能力在其网络中建立联系。与城市受访者相比，居住在农村和混合县的受访者网络中完全与其他成员没有联系的成员较少。
这些发现表明，老年人居住的社区为获取独特的网络资源提供了机会。需要采用网络视角的进一步研究来深入了解老年人中存在的地理差异。
