Family Ties and Older Adult Well-Being: Incorporating Social Networks and Proximity.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

This paper examines the family ties of older adults in the United States and how they are associated with mental health and social activity. We compare older adults with 4 types of family ties: adults "close" to family in proximity and social network, "kinless" older adults without a partner or children, "distanced" adults who live far from close kin, and "disconnected" older adults who do not report kin in their social network or do not report a location for some kin.

Methods

Using pooled data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study 2015-2019 for older adults aged 70 and older (N = 24,818 person-waves), we examine how family ties are associated with mental health and social activity, and whether lacking family is tied to poor well-being because older adul

SUBMITTER: Patterson SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10699742 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature