Network Composition and Health Behaviors Among Older Samoan Women
- 1 December 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Journal of Aging and Health
- Vol. 18 (6), 814-836
- https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264306293263
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore how kin and nonkin social support networks influence health behaviors among older Samoan women. Method: Using a cross-sectional survey design, 290 Samoan women who were age 50 years and older were interviewed. Using separate logistic regressions, each health behavior was regressed on age and kin and nonkin social support networks after controlling for background characteristics and health status. Results: In multivariate analyses, higher scores on kin increased the likelihood of never salting food, getting screened for diabetes in the past year, and having had a mammogram in the past 2 years, whereas higher scores on nonkin increased the likelihood of exercising at all and ever trying to lose weight. Discussion: Kin networks positively affect mostly chronic disease-related health behaviors, whereas nonkin networks positively affect mostly lifestyle-related health behaviors.Keywords
This publication has 42 references indexed in Scilit:
- Autoimmune Gastritis: Historical Antecedents, Outstanding Discoveries, and Unresolved ProblemsInternational Reviews of Immunology, 2005
- Women's Experiences of Appearance Concern and Body Control across the Lifespan: Challenging accepted wisdomJournal of Health Psychology, 2004
- A nutrition and exercise intervention program for controlling weight in Samoan communities in New ZealandInternational Journal of Obesity, 2001
- Considerations for extending the transtheoretical model of behavior change to screening mammographyHealth Education Research, 1996
- Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II: A Revision of the Original ARSMA ScaleHispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 1995
- Stress and changing lifestyles in the Pacific: Physiological stress responses of Samoans in rural and urban settingsAmerican Journal of Human Biology, 1993
- Correlates of Preventive Health Behavior in Late LifeResearch on Aging, 1987
- The Influence of Family Caregivers on Elder's Use of In-Home Services: An Expanded Conceptual FrameworkJournal of Health and Social Behavior, 1987
- Migration and biocultural adaptation: Samoans in CaliforniaSocial Science & Medicine, 1986
- The Potential Impact of Sexual Equality on HealthNew England Journal of Medicine, 1977