Age and Cohort Differences in Social Networks among Older Adults

• KOBAYASHI Erika

  Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology

• LIANG Jersey

  University of Michigan

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 高齢者の社会的ネットワークにおける加齢変化とコホート差
• 高齢者の社会的ネットワークにおける加齢変化とコホート差 : 全国高齢者縦断調査データのマルチレベル分析
• コウレイシャ ノ シャカイテキ ネットワーク ニ オケル カレイヘンカ ト コホートサ : ゼンコク コウレイシャ ジュウダン チョウサ データ ノ マルチレベル ブンセキ
• Findings from Nationwide Longitudinal Survey for Japanese Elderly through Multilevel Analysis
• 全国高齢者縦断調査データのマルチレベル分析

Abstract

Japanese older adults in three birth cohorts (C1: 1915 and earlier, C2: 1916-25, C3: 1926-36) who experienced Japan's rapid economic growth after World War II at different life stages were compared to clarify 1) cohort differences in social networks and their growth trajectories in old age and 2) factors that mediate cohort effect on networks. Social networks were measured by number of (a) close friends, (b) close neighbors and (c) groups they belonged to, (d) frequency of face-to-face contact with friends, neighbors, and relatives, and (e) frequency of attendance in group meetings. Data were obtained from 7 waves of a national survey of Japanese adults aged 60 and above, conducted between 1987 and 2006, which resulted in 16,955 observations for 4,999 persons. Through multilevel analyses (Hierarchical Linear Model) , we found that each network decreased with age in a quadratic curve, and that trajectories of group participation (c, e) differed by cohort. For men, two recent cohorts (C2, C3) were more likely to have fewer neighbors and less frequent contact compared to C1. For women, cohort differences in the number of neighbors were smaller than for men, and C2-C3 were more likely to have a greater number of close friends and more frequent contact compared to C1, which resulted in greater gender differences (Female > Male) in the recent cohorts for these networks. In C1, men belonged to more groups and had more frequent participation than women, but women in C3 participated in groups more frequently than men in the same cohort. After controlling for health, socioeconomic factors, and family factors, the cohort difference still existed, although socioeconomic factors partly reduced it. These results indicate that gender differences in social networks in old age are not constant but can be varied by cohorts who experience different life courses.

Journal

• Japanese Sociological Review

  Japanese Sociological Review 62 (3), 356-374, 2011

  The Japan Sociological Society

Keywords

• cohort effect
• longitudinal study
• gender

Details

• CRID: 1390001204293544960
• NII Article ID: 110008730908
• NII Book ID: AN00109823
• DOI: 10.4057/jsr.62.356
• ISSN: 18842755
• ISSN: 00215414
• NDL BIB ID: 023457178
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I023457178
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed