TY - JOUR
T1 - Social integration and age-related decline in lung function
AU - Crittenden, Crista N.
AU - Murphy, Michael L.M.
AU - Cohen, Sheldon
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2018/5
Y1 - 2018/5
N2 - Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that social integration, measured as number of social roles, is associated with less age-related loss of lung function, an important marker of health and longevity. We also investigated possible psychological factors through which social integration might influence lung health. Methods: Data were analyzed from the Health and Retirement Study (ages 52-94, n = 4,224). Results and Conclusions: Each additional social role reported at baseline was associated with less of a decline in lung function between baseline and the follow-up assessment four years later. The association withstood controls for demographics, weight, and height and was mediated by more positive and less negative affect and lower rates of cigarette smoking and more physical activity. Roles were mostly substitutable, with both high (spouse, parent, friends, relatives) and low (employee, religious service attendee, volunteer, members of other groups) intimacy roles independently contributing to less agerelated decline in lung function.
AB - Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that social integration, measured as number of social roles, is associated with less age-related loss of lung function, an important marker of health and longevity. We also investigated possible psychological factors through which social integration might influence lung health. Methods: Data were analyzed from the Health and Retirement Study (ages 52-94, n = 4,224). Results and Conclusions: Each additional social role reported at baseline was associated with less of a decline in lung function between baseline and the follow-up assessment four years later. The association withstood controls for demographics, weight, and height and was mediated by more positive and less negative affect and lower rates of cigarette smoking and more physical activity. Roles were mostly substitutable, with both high (spouse, parent, friends, relatives) and low (employee, religious service attendee, volunteer, members of other groups) intimacy roles independently contributing to less agerelated decline in lung function.
KW - Aging
KW - Lung function
KW - Social integration
KW - Social roles
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85044869304&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/hea0000592
DO - 10.1037/hea0000592
M3 - Article
C2 - 29620377
AN - SCOPUS:85044869304
SN - 0278-6133
VL - 37
SP - 472
EP - 480
JO - Health Psychology
JF - Health Psychology
IS - 5
ER -