Later-Life Social Network Profiles of Male War Survivors in Vietnam: Implications for Health Behaviors

Timothy Low, National University of Singapore
Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, National University of Singapore
Zachary Zimmer, Mount Saint Vincent University
Toan Tran Khanh, Hanoi Medical University

Emerging research emphasizes early-life war exposure as a key determinant of later-life health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, the linkages between war exposure, social networks, and later-life health behaviors have received little attention. Based on the 2018 Vietnam Health and Aging Study, we investigate how early-life war experiences relate to the social networks and health behaviors of Vietnamese men aged 60+ who survived the Vietnam War (1965-1975). We utilize latent class analysis to identify men’s network types and examine the associations between military service, war trauma, PTSD, and later-life network profiles. We assess the linkages between war experiences and risky health behaviors and the moderating effect of social networks on these behaviors. We find that exposure to malevolent living conditions, as opposed to war violence, and PTSD symptoms are linked to network profiles with low support. Although diverse and supportive networks correspond to a reduced risk of physical inactivity, they are associated with higher risks of frequent alcohol consumption. Social network profiles moderate the relationship between PTSD and the risk of frequent alcohol consumption. This evidence underscores the need for policymakers to consider the historical and social contexts of LMICs when deploying social support as a health intervention.

Keywords: Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Health and Morbidity, Social network methods, Population, Shocks and Pandemics

See paper.