Examining Between-Group Differences in Social Network Density and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Older Adults: Implications for the Hispanic Mortality Paradox.

OBJECTIVE: Hispanic/Latino(x) and African American/Black older adults experience disproportionate cardiometabolic disease burdens when compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Sources of resilience such as social networks have been found to mitigate the risk of this disease and its end points like high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). However, little is known about the social network infrastructure among these groups. Moreover, existing work has largely ignored the degree to which members of one's network are connected to one another (network density), which may be important for navigating structural barriers within interdependent groups. The objective of this study was to understand the association between network density and 5-year hs-CRP (blood spot) and whether this association was moderated by race-ethnicity. METHODS: A subsample of Hispanic/Latino(x), African American/Black, and non-Hispanic White older adults ( N = 1431) from the National Social Life Health and Aging Project was used. Multivariable regression was used to estimate the association between network density and its interaction with race-ethnicity, with hs-CRP 5 years later. RESULTS: Although no main effect of network density on 5-year hs-CRP was found, results revealed a significant network density by race-ethnicity interaction (Wald χ2 (2, 1242) = 3.31, p = .037). Simple slopes analyses revealed that Hispanic/Latino(x) older adults with high network density had significantly lower hs-CRP levels when compared with their same-ethnic counterparts with low network density ( b = -0.73, standard error = 0.31, 95% confidence interval = -1.33 to -0.13, p = .018). CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate population-level differences in social network structure and differential associations of this infrastructure with health. Implications for the Hispanic Mortality Paradox are discussed.

An Exploratory Study of Physiological Linkage Among Strangers.

The present study explores physiological linkage (i.e., any form of statistical interdependence between the physiological signals of interacting partners; PL) using data from 65 same-sex, same ethnicity stranger dyads. Participants completed a knot-tying task with either a cooperative or competitive framing while either talking or remaining silent. Autonomic nervous system activity was measured continuously by electrocardiograph for both individuals during the interaction. Using a recently developed R statistical package (i.e., rties), we modeled different oscillatory patterns of coordination between partner's interbeat interval (i.e., the time between consecutive heart beats) over the course of the task. Three patterns of PL emerged, characterized by differences in frequency of oscillation, phase, and damping or amplification. To address gaps in the literature, we explored (a) PL patterns as predictors of affiliation and (b) the interaction between individual differences and experimental condition as predictors of PL patterns. In contrast to prior analyses using this dataset for PL operationalized as covariation, the present analyses showed that oscillatory PL patterns did not predict affiliation, but the interaction of individual differences and condition differentially predicted PL patterns. This study represents a next step toward understanding the roles of individual differences, context, and PL among strangers.

Successes and failures in resisting cigarettes affect partner support for smoking cessation.

OBJECTIVE: Potential support providers may rely on observable behaviours (e.g. resisting a cigarette vs. smoking) to determine how much and what kind of support to provide. We evaluated the effect of smokers' salient behaviour on partners' likelihood of providing positive and negative support. DESIGN: Partners of smokers (N = 131) were randomly assigned to recall a time when their partner either successfully resisted a cigarette, failed to resist a cigarette or a control condition (no recall). All participants reported the likelihood of providing positive and negative support to their partner. Perceived commitment to quitting smoking was measured as a potential mediator. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome was intention to provide support for a quit attempt. RESULTS: Participants who recalled their partners' past failures reported more intentions to engage in negative support and smaller ratios of positive to negative intended support than did participants in the success or control condition. These effects were partially mediated by perception of commitment to quitting. CONCLUSION: Lapses in a quit attempt may change the nature of the support quitters receive. Interventions to improve communication between partners about the smoker's commitment to quitting and experienced challenges may result in better support.

Willingness to provide support for a quit attempt: A study of partners of smokers.

Support from close others predicts smoking abstinence, yet little research has investigated what factors promote support. This study investigates predictors of support for a quit attempt. Partners of smokers (N = 131) reported their relationship quality, concern for partner's health, own smoking status, and intended support for a quit attempt. Smokers were less supportive than were nonsmokers. Relationship quality, concern for partners' health, and motivation to quit were positively associated, and nicotine dependence was negatively associated, with intended support. The findings suggest that support for smoking cessation depends on one's own smoking behaviors as well as characteristics of the relationship.