Social Networks at the Residential Environment and Loneliness in Old Age. A Different Role by Gender?

Maria Dolores Puga Gonzalez, Spanish Council for Scientific Research
Celia Fernández-Carro, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)

The neighbourhood gains relevance in old age, compared to other relational environments, favouring or limiting the ability to maintain activities and relationships. Geographical proximity to the members of the social networks has been identified as a key factor to prevent threats to older people well-being as loneliness. Proximate interpersonal networks, with family, but also with neighbours and friends, can help to deal with an accumulation of losses occurred in the advanced life course (partner, friends, health, autonomy…). Previous results have shown that proximity networks are very relevant mitigating the relation between mobility problems and loneliness. Literature have shown that a live space that favours friend-oriented networks can cushion the effect of the empty nest or the loss of a partner. The actual generations of old Spanish men have fewer links with people located nearby than actual generations of old Spanish women, so these effects can vary by gender. We wonder if the geographical proximity of social networks plays a mitigating effect on loneliness, especially in relation to health problems and family losses, and if this effect is different between men and women. Data from the Spanish sample of Waves 6 & 9 of the SHARE were used for this analysis.

Keywords: Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Neighbourhood/contextual effect analysis, Gender Dynamics, Health and Morbidity

See extended abstract.