ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2021
Local Ties in the Social Networks of Older Adults.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Examining the social networks of older adults receiving informal or formal care: a systematic review.BMC geriatrics · 2023Pooled it
- Examining the social networks of older adults receiving informal or formal care: a systematic review.BMC geriatrics · 2023Pooled it
- "Kinlessness", friend and family support, and cognitive function by region and urbanicity in the United States.Health & place · 2026Article
- Associations of Homebound State in Older Adults With Neighborhood Social Cohesion.Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society · 2026Article
- No Place Like Home? Local Crime and Older Adults' Time at Home.Social problems · 2026Article
- Beyond the Block: Social Network Extralocality and Cognitive Function Among U.S. Older Adults.Journal of aging and health · 2026Article
- Comparison of Social Frailty and Oral Health Literacy Among Older Adults in Urban and Rural Areas: A Cross-Sectional Study.Clinical interventions in aging · 2026Article
- Neighborhood social cohesion and psychological distress among caregiving spouses with or without a nearby social support network.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Relationship between social network characteristics and falls among older adults living alone: an analysis using Zero-inflated negative binomial regression.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Evolution of shared care networks by race and ethnicity: findings from the National Health and Aging Trends Study.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- How Does Successful Aging Apply to Black Women? A Latent Class Analysis.The Gerontologist · 2024Article
- Cultural contexts differentially shape parents' loneliness and wellbeing during the empty nest period.Communications psychology · 2024Review
- Loneliness and Mode of Social Contact in Late Life.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2024Article
- Sensory Health Among Older Adults in the United States: A Neighborhood Context Approach.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2024Article
- Banking on the Neighborhood? Inequalities in Older Adults' Access to Local Banking and Neighborhood Perceptions.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2024Article
- Distance in Disconnection: The Varied Impact of Core Network Losses on Loneliness Among Older Europeans.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2023Article
- The Built Environment and Social and Emotional Support among Rural Older Adults: The Case for Social Infrastructure and Attention to Ethnoracial Differences.Rural sociology · 2023Article
- A Brief Report on Living Arrangements Following Gray Divorce.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2023Article
- Neighborhood Conditions and Social Network Turnover among Older Adults.Social networks · 2023Article
- Making Home: The Role of Social Networks on Identity, Health, and Quality of Life Among Rural Lesbian and Gay Older Adults.Innovation in aging · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesFamily members and friends who live nearby may be especially well-positioned to provide social support and companionship for community-residing older adults, but prior research has not examined the distribution and characteristics of local ties in older adults' networks. We hypothesize that local ties are newer, more frequently accessed, and more embedded in the network, and that social disadvantage and neighborhood conditions structure older adults' access to local ties.
methodsWe use egocentric network data from 15,137 alters named by 3,735 older adults in Wave 3 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). We conduct dyadic analysis to compare characteristics of local and nonlocal ties. Logistic regression models estimate how personal and neighborhood characteristics are associated with naming local kin and local non-kin ties.
resultsNearly half of the older adults named at least one local network tie, and about 60% of these local ties are non-kin. Local ties are newer, frequently accessed, and highly embedded in older adults' networks. Local kin ties are most common among socially disadvantaged older adults. Local non-kin ties are most common among white older adults and those who live in areas with high levels of collective efficacy, although local non-kin ties are also associated with residence in high-poverty neighborhoods. DISCUSSION: Local ties may bring unique benefits for community-residing older adults, but their availability is likely structured by residential mobility, neighborhood context, disparities in resources, and support needs. Future research should consider their implications for health and well-being.
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