Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health logoLink to Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
. 1992 Apr;46(2):127–132. doi: 10.1136/jech.46.2.127

Social network and activities in relation to mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other causes: a 12 year follow up of the study of men born in 1913 and 1923.

L Welin 1, B Larsson 1, K Svärdsudd 1, B Tibblin 1, G Tibblin 1
PMCID: PMC1059519  PMID: 1583426

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--The aim was to examine the relationship between social network and activities and causes of death. DESIGN--The study was a prospective cohort study of middle aged men examined in 1973 and followed for 12 years. SETTING--Gothenburg, Sweden. SUBJECTS--The subjects were 769 60 year old and 220 50 year old men who had participated in a health examination. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--Main outcome measures were mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other causes. In multivariate analyses cardiovascular mortality was related to baseline blood pressure (p less than 0.001), smoking habits (p = 0.002), myocardial infarction or stroke (p less than 0.001), and a low level of social activities (p = 0.04). Cancer mortality was related to age (p = 0.003) and smoking habits (p = 0.001). Other causes of death were related to poor perceived health (p = 0.02) and a low level of home activities (p = 0.004). In univariate analyses the above risk factors were strongly related to all three causes of death. In addition cardiovascular mortality was related to age, a low level of home and outside home activities, few persons in the household, and poor perceived health. Cancer mortality was related to poor perceived health, few persons in the household, and a low level of social activities. Other causes of death were related to living alone, poor perceived health, and a low level of social and outside home activities. CONCLUSIONS--Well known risk factors for premature mortality like smoking, hypertension, and major cardiovascular disease are verified. Middle aged men with a good "social network" (here measured as a high level of social, home, and outside home activities) may be partly protected against non-cancer mortality.

Full text

PDF
129

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Berkman L. F. Social network analysis and coronary heart disease. Adv Cardiol. 1982;29:37–49. doi: 10.1159/000406195. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berkman L. F. Social networks, support, and health: taking the next step forward. Am J Epidemiol. 1986 Apr;123(4):559–562. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114276. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Berkman L. F., Syme S. L. Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: a nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents. Am J Epidemiol. 1979 Feb;109(2):186–204. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112674. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blazer D. G. Social support and mortality in an elderly community population. Am J Epidemiol. 1982 May;115(5):684–694. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113351. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Broadhead W. E., Kaplan B. H., James S. A., Wagner E. H., Schoenbach V. J., Grimson R., Heyden S., Tibblin G., Gehlbach S. H. The epidemiologic evidence for a relationship between social support and health. Am J Epidemiol. 1983 May;117(5):521–537. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113575. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Cassel J. The contribution of the social environment to host resistance: the Fourth Wade Hampton Frost Lecture. Am J Epidemiol. 1976 Aug;104(2):107–123. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a112281. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DOLL R., HILL A. B. MORTALITY IN RELATION TO SMOKING: TEN YEARS' OBSERVATIONS OF BRITISH DOCTORS. Br Med J. 1964 May 30;1(5395):1399–1410. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5395.1399. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hanson B. S., Isacsson S. O., Janzon L., Lindell S. E. Social network and social support influence mortality in elderly men. The prospective population study of "Men born in 1914," Malmö, Sweden. Am J Epidemiol. 1989 Jul;130(1):100–111. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. House J. S., Landis K. R., Umberson D. Social relationships and health. Science. 1988 Jul 29;241(4865):540–545. doi: 10.1126/science.3399889. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. House J. S., Robbins C., Metzner H. L. The association of social relationships and activities with mortality: prospective evidence from the Tecumseh Community Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1982 Jul;116(1):123–140. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113387. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kaplan G. A., Salonen J. T., Cohen R. D., Brand R. J., Syme S. L., Puska P. Social connections and mortality from all causes and from cardiovascular disease: prospective evidence from eastern Finland. Am J Epidemiol. 1988 Aug;128(2):370–380. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114977. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Orth-Gomér K., Johnson J. V. Social network interaction and mortality. A six year follow-up study of a random sample of the Swedish population. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(10):949–957. doi: 10.1016/0021-9681(87)90145-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Reed D., McGee D., Yano K., Feinleib M. Social networks and coronary heart disease among Japanese men in Hawaii. Am J Epidemiol. 1983 Apr;117(4):384–396. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113557. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Schoenbach V. J., Kaplan B. H., Fredman L., Kleinbaum D. G. Social ties and mortality in Evans County, Georgia. Am J Epidemiol. 1986 Apr;123(4):577–591. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114278. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Seeman T. E., Kaplan G. A., Knudsen L., Cohen R., Guralnik J. Social network ties and mortality among the elderly in the Alameda County Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1987 Oct;126(4):714–723. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a114711. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tibblin G. A population study of 50-year-old men. An analysis of the non-participation group. Acta Med Scand. 1965 Oct;178(4):453–459. doi: 10.1111/j.0954-6820.1965.tb04290.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Tibblin G., Welin L., Larsson B., Ljungberg I. L., Svärdsudd K. The influence of repeated health examinations on mortality in a prospective cohort study, with a comment on the autopsy frequency. The study of men born in 1913. Scand J Soc Med. 1982;10(1):27–32. doi: 10.1177/140349488201000106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Welin L., Tibblin G., Svärdsudd K., Tibblin B., Ander-Peciva S., Larsson B., Wilhelmsen L. Prospective study of social influences on mortality. The study of men born in 1913 and 1923. Lancet. 1985 Apr 20;1(8434):915–918. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91684-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES