Abstract

Objectives

Although stronger social relationships have been associated with reduced mortality risk in prior research, their associations with favorable health outcomes are understudied. We evaluated whether higher social integration levels were associated with longer life span and greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity.

Method

Women from the Nurses’ Health Study completed the Berkman–Syme Social Network Index in 1992 (N = 72,322; average age = 58.80 years), and were followed through 2014 with biennial questionnaires. Deaths were ascertained from participants’ families, postal authorities, and death registries. Accelerated failure time models adjusting for relevant covariates estimated percent changes in life span associated with social integration levels; logistic regressions evaluated likelihood of surviving to age 85 years or older among women who could reach that age during follow-up (N = 16,818).

Results

After controlling for baseline demographics and chronic diseases, socially integrated versus isolated women had 10% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.80–11.42) longer life span and 41% (95% CI = 1.28–1.54) higher odds of surviving to age 85 years. All findings remained statistically significant after further adjusting for health behaviors and depression.

Discussion

Better social integration is related to longer life span and greater likelihood of achieving exceptional longevity among midlife women. Findings suggest social integration may be an important psychosocial asset to evaluate for promoting longer, healthier lives.

中文翻译：

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社会融合与妇女寿命和超长寿命的预期联系。

摘要

目标

尽管在先前的研究中，更牢固的社会关系与降低的死亡风险相关联，但仍未充分研究它们与健康状况的相关性。我们评估了较高的社会融合水平是否与更长的寿命和更大的获得长寿的可能性有关。

方法

护士健康研究中的妇女于1992年完成了伯克曼·西姆社交网络指数（N = 72,322；平均年龄= 58.80岁），并在2014年进行了两年一次的问卷调查。确定死亡的原因是参与者的家人，邮政当局和死亡登记处。加速故障时间模型，以调整相关的协变量，估计与社会融合程度相关的寿命变化百分比；logistic回归评估了在随访期间可以达到该年龄的女性中存活至85岁或85岁以上的可能性（N = 16,818）。

结果

在控制了基本的人口统计资料和慢性病之后，社会融合妇女与孤立妇女的寿命相比延长了10％（95％置信区间[CI] = 8.80–11.42），存活率提高了41％（95％CI = 1.28–1.54）。年龄85岁。在进一步针对健康行为和抑郁进行调整后，所有发现仍具有统计学意义。

讨论区

更好的社会融合关系到中年妇女更长的寿命和更长的寿命。研究结果表明，社会融合可能是评估促进更长寿，更健康生活的重要社会心理资产。