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Social relations and mortality. An eleven year follow-up study of 70-year-old men and women in Denmark

Author

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  • Avlund, Kirsten
  • Damsgaard, Mogens Trab
  • Holstein, BjØrn E.

Abstract

Purpose: To identify which aspects of social relations among 70-year-old men and women are predictive of mortality 11Â years later. Methods: The baseline study in 1984 included 734 70-year-old men and women in Glostrup (county of Copenhagen). The variables comprised the structure and the function of the social network, education, income and functional ability. Eleven years later, in November 1995, information about deaths was obtained from the Central National Register. Results: The study showed an independent association between social relations and mortality. Men who did not help others with repairs and who lived alone and women with no social support to other tasks had increased risk of dying during the follow-up period. Conclusions: This study supports (1) that there is an association between social relations and mortality, (2) that two aspects of the function of social relations matters: (a) to receive support for small or larger tasks needed, (b) to help others with different tasks, and (3) that social relations may serve different functions for men and women.

Suggested Citation

  • Avlund, Kirsten & Damsgaard, Mogens Trab & Holstein, BjØrn E., 1998. "Social relations and mortality. An eleven year follow-up study of 70-year-old men and women in Denmark," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 47(5), pages 635-643, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:47:y:1998:i:5:p:635-643
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    Cited by:

    1. Donrovich, Robyn & Drefahl, Sven & Koupil, Ilona, 2014. "Early life conditions, partnership histories, and mortality risk for Swedish men and women born 1915–1929," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 60-67.
    2. Paola Pizzetti & Matteo Manfredini, 2008. "“The shock of widowhood”? Evidence from an Italian population (Parma, 1989–2000)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 85(3), pages 499-513, February.
    3. Shor, Eran & Roelfs, David J., 2015. "Social contact frequency and all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis and meta-regression," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 76-86.
    4. la Cour, Peter & Avlund, Kirsten & Schultz-Larsen, Kirsten, 2006. "Religion and survival in a secular region. A twenty year follow-up of 734 Danish adults born in 1914," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 157-164, January.
    5. Dr Sukhan Jackson & Nerina Vecchio, 2002. "Socio-Economic Impact Of Social Ties On Community Care For Older Australians," Discussion Papers Series 312, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.

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