Li Zhiying
School of Government, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China.
Front Public Health. 2024 Dec 2;12:1501597. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1501597. eCollection 2024.
This study aims to examine the role of social networks in influencing the physical and mental health of older Chinese adults, investigating both the underlying mechanisms and the associations between social networks, labor force participation, and health outcomes.
Using data from the 2021 China General Social Survey (CGSS), we analyzed a sample of 1,332 older adults, incorporating demographic and health-related variables. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and mediation analysis were conducted to evaluate the effects of social networks on health outcomes, with subgroup analyses by gender and education level. Stata 18.0 and SPSS were employed to perform all statistical analyses.
Social networks demonstrate a significant positive effect on overall, physical, and mental health at the 1% level, with weak-tie networks exhibiting a more substantial impact on health ( = 0.1146, < 0.01). In promoting physical health, social networks have a coefficient of 0.1371 ( < 0.001) for females and 0.2128 ( < 0.001) for males. Among individuals with lower education, the coefficient is 0.1561 ( < 0.001), while for those with higher education, it is 0.2184 ( < 0.001). Regarding mental health, social networks yield a coefficient of 0.0747 ( > 0.05) for females and 0.1095 ( < 0.01) for males; for individuals with lower education, the coefficient is 0.0914 ( < 0.01), and for those with higher education, it is 0.0441 ( > 0.05). Media use, subjective wellbeing, and perceived social class are key explanatory mechanisms in the relationship between social networks and health of the older adult. Notably, subjective wellbeing and perceived social class function as chain mediators between social networks and health outcomes. The interaction between social networks and labor participation reveals a significant negative coefficient ( = -0.1864, < 0.01).
Social networks contribute to improved health in older adults, with weak ties playing a particularly significant role, although the effect varies across subgroups. Media use, subjective social class, and wellbeing are important mechanisms linking social networks with older adult health, while labor force participation may serve as a substitute for social networks in health promotion among older adults. This study will inform the improvement of older adults health and the development of labor policies for older adults.
本研究旨在探讨社交网络对中国老年成年人身心健康的影响作用，研究其潜在机制以及社交网络、劳动力参与和健康结果之间的关联。
利用2021年中国综合社会调查（CGSS）的数据，我们分析了1332名老年人的样本，并纳入了人口统计学和健康相关变量。进行普通最小二乘法（OLS）回归和中介分析，以评估社交网络对健康结果的影响，并按性别和教育水平进行亚组分析。使用Stata 18.0和SPSS进行所有统计分析。
社交网络在1%的水平上对总体健康、身体健康和心理健康均显示出显著的正向影响，弱关系网络对健康的影响更为显著（β = 0.1146，p < 0.01）。在促进身体健康方面，社交网络对女性的系数为0.1371（p < 0.001），对男性的系数为0.2128（p < 0.001）。在受教育程度较低的个体中，系数为0.1561（p < 0.001），而在受教育程度较高的个体中，系数为0.2184（p < 0.001）。关于心理健康，社交网络对女性的系数为0.0747（p > 0.05），对男性的系数为0.1095（p < 0.01）；在受教育程度较低的个体中，系数为0.0914（p < 0.01），在受教育程度较高的个体中，系数为0.0441（p > 0.05）。媒体使用、主观幸福感和感知社会阶层是社交网络与老年人健康关系中的关键解释机制。值得注意的是，主观幸福感和感知社会阶层在社交网络与健康结果之间起链式中介作用。社交网络与劳动力参与之间的交互作用显示出显著的负系数（β = -0.1864，p < 0.01）。
社交网络有助于改善老年人的健康状况，弱关系发挥着特别重要的作用，尽管其影响在不同亚组中有所差异。媒体使用、主观社会阶层和幸福感是将社交网络与老年人健康联系起来的重要机制，而劳动力参与可能在老年人健康促进中替代社交网络。本研究将为改善老年人健康状况和制定老年人劳动力政策提供参考。
