Multiple social tie transitions and their impact on cardiometabolic risk factors in aging women and men

Year:

2022

Applicant:

Conklin, Annalijn

Email:

annalijn.conklin@ubc.ca

Project ID:

2206013

Approved Project Status:

Active

Project Summary

Social connectedness is critical for promoting healthy aging, and is linked to greater survival and less chronic disease. Older people are especially at high risk of transitioning from multiple to few/no social ties, and this can threaten health differently in women versus men. Little research examines whether and how changes in multiple different social ties influence risk factors of aging, or how their effects vary for women and men. Less is known about how social ties and economic conditions interact. We have shown that four types of ties are more strongly linked to linked to obesity and hypertension in women than men in Canada. This project will (1) assess changes in obesity and hypertension over time in women and men by types of social tie transitions; (2) quantify how social tie transitions impact these healthy aging indicators; and (3) explore the role of financial autonomy in altering this impact.