Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36463147›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2022

Changes in structure and function of social networks of independently living middle-aged and older adults in diverse sociodemographic subgroups during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study.

Lisanne Cj Steijvers, Stephanie Brinkhues, Theo G van Tilburg, Christian Jpa Hoebe, Mandy Mn Stijnen, Nanne de Vries, Rik Crutzen, Nicole Htm Dukers-Muijrers

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Article in BMC public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Lisanne Cj SteijversDepartment of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands. lisanne.steijvers@ggdzl.nl.
Stephanie BrinkhuesDepartment of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Theo G van TilburgDepartment of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Christian Jpa HoebeDepartment of Social Medicine, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Mandy Mn StijnenDepartment of Knowledge and Innovation, Public Health Service South Limburg, Heerlen, the Netherlands.
Nanne de VriesDepartment of Health Promotion, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Rik CrutzenDepartment of Health Promotion, Care and Public Health Research Institute (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Nicole Htm Dukers-MuijrersDepartment of Sexual Health, Infectious Diseases, and Environmental Health, Public Health Service South Limburg, Heerlen, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSocial networks, i.e., all social relationships that people have, contribute to well-being and health. Governmental measures against COVID-19 were explicitly aimed to decrease physical social contact. We evaluated ego-centric social network structure and function, and changes therein, among various sociodemographic subgroups before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsIndependently living Dutch adults aged 40 years and older participating in the SaNAE longitudinal cohort study filled in online questionnaires in 2019 and 2020. Changes in network size (network structure) and social supporters (network function) were assessed. Associations with risk for changes (versus stable) were assessed for sociodemographic subgroups (sex, age, educational level, and urbanization level) using multivariable regression analyses, adjusted for confounders.

resultsOf 3,344 respondents 55% were men with a mean age of 65 years (age range 41-95 in 2020). In all assessed sociodemographic subgroups, decreases were observed in mean network size (total population: 11.4 to 9.8), the number of emotional supporters (7.2 to 6.1), and practical supporters (2.2 to 1.8), and an increase in the number of informational supporters (4.1 to 4.7). In all subgroups, the networks changed to being more family oriented. Some individuals increased their network size or number of supporters; they were more often women, higher-educated, or living in rural areas.

conclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic impacted social networks of people aged 40 years and older, as they increased informational support and reduced the number of their social relationships, mainly in terms of emotional and practical supporters. Notably, some individuals did not show such unfavorable trends and managed to reorganize their networks to attribute social support roles more centrally.

Indexed as

COVID-19AdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleGovernmentHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedPandemicsSocial NetworkingNetwork sizeSocial networksSocial supportSociodemographic subgroups

Identifiers

PMID36463147
PMCPMC9719122

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.