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Results for “Social integration”

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PubMed1975

Sociological aspects of cleft palate adults: IV. Social integration.

The patterns of social integration of adults with primary and secondary groups were evaluated for 196 adult cleft subjects, their 190 siblings and 209 random controls. Results indicated that cleft adults tended to rely on the extended family for mutual aid and social activities. They also participated less frequently in voluntary associations and relied on a few one-to-one friendships. Social activities tended to be that of informal visiting patterns. While it would be inaccurate to characterize the cleft adult family as grossly different from other American families, they are a definable population experiencing some degree of limitation associated with having a cleft.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Is social integration associated with the risk of falling in older community-dwelling women?

BACKGROUND: Social integration may lead to social support and influence that may in turn protect older community-dwelling adults from falls. METHODS: We examined incident falls over 3 years across quartiles of social integration scores in 6692 Caucasian women enrolled in the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (mean age = 77 +/- 5 years). Social integration was assessed using family networks, friendship networks, and interdependence scores. Higher scores correspond to greater integration. Data were analyzed using Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations. Multivariate analyses were used to adjust for other risk factors and potential confounders. RESULTS: Women reported 11863 falls, averaging 0.60 falls per person annually, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.57, 0.63), or 600 falls per 1000 women. In age-adjusted analysis, the average incidence rate of falls correlated inversely with family networks, interdependence, and composite integration scores (p <.05). In multivariate analysis, increasing family networks were inversely associated with fall risk, p(trend) =.02. Compared to the lowest quartile, the relative risk of falls (95% CI) associated with family network scores in the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 0.90 (0.79-1.03), 0.86 (0.74-1.00), and 0.84 (0.71-0.99), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Strong family networks may protect against the risk of falls in older community-dwelling adults.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed1991

Social integration and black intraracial variation in blood pressure.

An evaluation is made of the inverse role social integration plays in explaining variation in blood pressure among a sample of 1420 black Americans. This sample is part of a larger representative sample of 6717 adults (18 years and older) who were interviewed in the 1981-82 Maryland Statewide Hypertension Control Program. Social integration is operationalized in terms of five submeasures: employment, marriage, church affiliation, group affiliation, and having someone to talk to when needed. Separate multiple regression analyses were conducted for males (n = 587) and females (n = 833), and selected covariates (eg, age, education, body mass index, physical exercise, current use of antihypertension medication, cigarette smoking) were entered to assess more adequately the hypothesized inverse relationship between social integration and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Only church affiliation appears inversely associated with systolic (males: b = -4.898; 95% CI = -10.385 to 0.589; females: b = -4.005; 95% CI = -8.341 to 0.331) and diastolic (males: b = -6.511; 95% CI = -10.038 to -2.985; females: b = -5.318; 95% CI = -8.329 to -2.307) blood pressure. These results indicate that several pathways can influence how social integration, especially affiliation with a church, contributes to lower levels of blood pressure. The possibility that biological as well as psychosocial pathways operate is discussed. Given the dominant and independent inverse association of church affiliation to blood pressure, health education is discussed as a public health strategy to disseminate information regarding the possible health importance of social integration for black Americans. The adherence to sound preventive health practices (eg, exercising, lower weight-to-height body ratio) should also be part of the health education strategy to reduce elevated blood pressure in black Americans.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Self-perceived social integration and the use of day centers of persons with severe and persistent schizophrenia living in the community: a qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: The study examined how persons with severe and persistent schizophrenia perceive their social integration and how particular types of social integration are related to the use of day centers and patient clubs. METHODS: Problem-focused interviews on self-perceived social integration and the use of day structuring services were done with 100 persons with an ICD-9 diagnosis of schizophrenia living in Leipzig. Transcribed interviews were subjected to computer-aided qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Results of the qualitative content analysis show that the study participants can be classified in five different groups according to their self-perceived degree of social integration. The use and the subjective meaning of existing day structuring services was found to be associated with the type of self-perceived social integration. CONCLUSION: The heterogeneous ways persons with chronic schizophrenia organize their social lives lead to different kinds of needs for support. In order to meet the needs of the whole spectrum of patients this heterogeneity must be taken into account in the process of service planning.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1994

[Social integration and mortality in Japanese elderly].

The prospective association of social integration reported in 1987 with mortality over three years was examined in a cohort of 2200 Japanese elderly, aged 60 years and over. Social integration data was obtained from a national survey which measured both the quantity and frequency of attachment. Social ties was classified into five types; spouse, child(ren) living together, child(ren) living separately, friend, neighbor, and community group. Ten potential confounding variables-age, educational attainment, address, existence of chronic diseases, activities of daily living, subjective well-being, drinking, sleeping hours, cigarette smoking, and exercise- were controlled using logistic regression analysis for each sex. Men who belong to more community organizations or attend meeting of these groups more frequently had significantly less mortality during the follow-up period. Trends for women were not significant. No association was observed between mortality and other variables of social integration.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Social role valorization insights into the social integration conundrum.

More and more persons with mental retardation and psychiatric disabilities are present in mainstream society, yet have little interaction and few relationships outside their own peer groups of devalued persons. Social integration remains a desirable yet elusive goal for most human service organizations, and there continues to be a certain amount of confusion about what constitutes social integration. Recent reviews in North America and Europe testify to the difficulty of achieving social integration, particularly for people with mental retardation and psychiatric disabilities. Social role valorization, with its use of the social role concept, provides useful insights and tools for analyzing the social integration conundrum. A social role conceptualization of social integration is proposed and an illustrative example is provided.

Humans↗

PubMed2004

Social integration and mortality: a prospective study of French employees of Electricity of France-Gas of France: the GAZEL Cohort.

The authors investigated associations between social integration and all-cause and cause-specific mortality among French employees of Electricity of France-Gas of France. A total of 12,347 men aged 40-50 years in 1989 and 4,352 women aged 35-50 years in 1989 comprised the sample. In age-adjusted survival analyses for all causes of death, men who were least socially integrated were 4.42 times as likely to die during follow-up (1993-1999) as those with the highest level of integration (p < 0.0001). After adjustment for age, occupation, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, self-reported health, depressive symptoms, and region of France, relative risks for men ranging from the least socially integrated to the most socially integrated were 2.70 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17, 6.23), 1.95 (95% CI: 1.25, 3.04), and 1.37 (95% CI: 0.92, 2.04) in comparison with the most integrated men. In multivariate cause-specific analyses, isolated men had elevated risks of dying from cancer (relative risk = 3.60) and from accidents and suicide (relative risk = 3.54). Among women, in multivariate analyses, the relative risk was 3.64 (95% CI: 0.72, 18.58). The small number of deaths among women (n = 29) limited statistical power and prohibited cause-specific analyses. These results suggest that in this employed cohort of middle-aged men and women, social integration is an important predictor of mortality.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium.

It is widely recognized that social relationships and affiliation have powerful effects on physical and mental health. When investigators write about the impact of social relationships on health, many terms are used loosely and interchangeably including social networks, social ties and social integration. The aim of this paper is to clarify these terms using a single framework. We discuss: (1) theoretical orientations from diverse disciplines which we believe are fundamental to advancing research in this area; (2) a set of definitions accompanied by major assessment tools; and (3) an overarching model which integrates multilevel phenomena. Theoretical orientations that we draw upon were developed by Durkheim whose work on social integration and suicide are seminal and John Bowlby, a psychiatrist who developed attachment theory in relation to child development and contemporary social network theorists. We present a conceptual model of how social networks impact health. We envision a cascading causal process beginning with the macro-social to psychobiological processes that are dynamically linked together to form the processes by which social integration effects health. We start by embedding social networks in a larger social and cultural context in which upstream forces are seen to condition network structure. Serious consideration of the larger macro-social context in which networks form and are sustained has been lacking in all but a small number of studies and is almost completely absent in studies of social network influences on health. We then move downstream to understand the influences network structure and function have on social and interpersonal behavior. We argue that networks operate at the behavioral level through four primary pathways: (1) provision of social support; (2) social influence; (3) on social engagement and attachment; and (4) access to resources and material goods.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

Suicide and social integration. A pilot study of the integration levels in Norway and Denmark.

A model for comparison of levels of social integration in each of the Nordic countries was developed from Durkheim's theories and then tested on Norwegian and Danish data to determine whether the difference in the frequency of suicide between Norway and Denmark could be "explained" by a corresponding difference in degree of social integration. The results confirmed Durkheim's theory in that the general level of social integration was found to be considerably lower in Denmark than in Norway. Danish middleaged women, whose rate of suicide is more than three times that of their Norwegian counterparts, were especially poorly integrated by comparison. Furthermore, the level of integration among young Norwegian men was found to be in marked decline and their suicide rate on the increase. The necessity of testing and refining the method is stressed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1980

[Integrated social policy].

An investigation into 'Integrated Social Policy' is reviewed. The research has provided a number of interesting data. There are, however, some serious methodological problems, which have not been adequately handled by the investigators. Especially, the very abstract nature of the concepts does run up against serious objections. Also the nature of the research problem has been discussed. It is suggested that another frame of reference could be more fruitful, namely the discrepancy between the development of the aged population in the last fifty years on the one hand and the organizational structure of the government on the other hand. Possibly there is a large 'cultural lag'. A final question is concerned with the urgent need of reorganizing the administrative structure itself.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

The social integration of psychiatric patients in nursing homes.

The authors explored self-reports of the social integration of 163 chronically ill psychiatric patients who were admitted to 12 nursing homes over a 1-year period. Results suggest that nursing home care for psychiatric patients is custodial and institutional in character and that the social integration of such patients is generally low. Nursing home patients had lower scores than outpatients but not inpatients on a measure of social participation; they were similar to both these groups on measures of spending and employment. Levels of social integration changed little over 1 year, either for better or for worse.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1988

Relative importance of after-effects, environment and socio-economic factors on the social integration of stroke victims.

This research is about the social integration of victims of a cerebrovascular accident. The objective is to evaluate the relative importance of physical after-effects, socio-economic characteristics, social and environmental factors on the degree of social integration subsequently achieved. This is a longitudinal evaluation with three data collections from an initial sample of 129 persons from the Quebec City area, Canada. Individual functional autonomy increases significantly while in institution and during the six months following discharge. At the time of discharge, 72.9% return to a normal home. A regression analysis shows that the determining factors relating to homecoming are motor functions and autonomy, personal perception of health conditions, proximity of children and relatives, relatively low age, regular presence of another person in the home, and proximity of friends. An important decrease in the practice of many activities occurs six months after homecoming: paid work, housework, management of personal affairs, and leisure activities. Absence of serious motor and language after-effects, a high level of perceived health condition, accessible facilities, proximity of relatives, and the ownership of a car are the factors most strongly associated with continued practice of these activities. Social contacts are more frequent than for comparable populations as far as children and relatives are concerned, but they are less frequent with friends. Proximity is a key factor. A quarter of the sample experiences problems relating to psychological well-being.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Social integration and concentrations of C-reactive protein among US adults.

PURPOSE: This study tests whether social integration is associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) level, a biologic risk factor for cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Using data from 14,818 participants aged>or=20 years from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988 to 1994), we created a social network index using marital status; number of contacts with family, friends, and neighbors; frequency of religious service attendance; and participation in voluntary organizations. Serum CRP concentration was measured by means of latex-enhanced nephelometry, a low-sensitivity assay, and dichotomized into 3 mg/L or less and greater than 3 mg/L. RESULTS: After adjustment for multiple potential confounders, men aged>or=60 years with the fewest ties were more likely to have an elevated CRP concentration than men with the most ties (odds ratio=1.80; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-2.92). This occurred in a dose-response manner, with each decrease in number of ties associated with an increase in the proportion of men with elevated CRP levels. The association between social networks and CRP level after multivariate adjustment was not significant in women or younger men. CONCLUSION: In this nationally representative cohort, CRP level was associated with social integration in older men, but not women or younger men. There may be sex- and age-related differences in biologic processes influenced by social integration.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Social integration of older persons with mental retardation in residential facilities.

The findings from a study of the social integration of a national sample of 370 older persons with mental retardation were reviewed. Individuals were selected from a national sample of all facilities owned, operated, or licensed by developmental disabilities agencies having one or more persons 63 years of age or older with mental retardation (N = 235). Facilities included foster care, small group homes (3 to 15 residents), large private facilities, and large state-operated facilities. Information was obtained on resident activities and relations considered to be indicators of social integration through extensive questionnaires completed by primary caregivers. Comparisons of the differences in community integration among residents living in different types of residential facilities were presented. The relative contribution of individual and facility characteristics to the social integration of older persons with mental retardation was explored with hierarchical multiple regression analysis.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2004

Poor social integration and suicide: fact or artifact? A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Sociological studies have shown that poor social integration confers suicide risk. It is not known whether poor integration amplifies risk after adjusting statistically for the effects of mental disorders and employment status. METHOD: A case-control design was used to compare 86 suicides and 86 living controls 50 years of age and older, matched on age, gender, race, and county of residence. Structured interviews were conducted with proxy respondents for suicides and controls. Social integration was defined in reference to two broad levels of analysis: family (e.g. sibship status, childrearing status) and social/ community (e.g. social interaction, religious participation, community involvement). RESULTS: Bivariate analyses showed that suicides were less likely to be married, have children, or live with family. They were less likely to engage in religious practice or community activities and they had lower levels of social interaction. A trimmed logistic regression model showed that marital status, social interaction and religious involvement were all associated with suicide even after statistical adjusting for the effects of affective disorder and employment status. Adding substance abuse to the model eliminated the effects of religious involvement. CONCLUSIONS: The association between family and social/community indicators of poor social integration and suicide is robust and largely independent of the presence of mental disorders. Findings could be used to enhance screening instruments and identify problem behaviors, such as low levels of social interaction, which could be targeted for intervention.

Aged↗

PubMed1990

Two requirements for job contentment: autonomy and social integration.

The interaction of autonomy (control over work activities) and social integration (relationships with co-workers) was investigated in a sample of newly employed nurses in the 6th and 12th month of work. Those nurses with low autonomy and low social integration reported low job satisfaction and work motivation, poor commitment to the organization and less intent to stay on the job. They were older, with more experience and more education and tended to work on medical units. This study supports the notion of feminist psychologists that what women nurses want is "autonomy with connectedness".

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Depressive symptoms and lack of social integration in relation to prognosis of CHD in middle-aged women. The Stockholm Female Coronary Risk Study.

AIMS: Several studies have reported that women with coronary heart disease have a poorer prognosis than men. Psychosocial factors, including social isolation and depressive symptoms have been suggested as a possible cause. However, little is known about these factors and their independent predictive value in women. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic impact of depression, lack of social integration and their interaction in the Stockholm Female Coronary Risk Study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-two women patients aged 30 to 65 years and admitted for an acute coronary event between 1991 and 1994, were followed for 5 years from baseline assessments, which were performed between 3 and 6 months after admission. Lack of social integration and depressive symptoms, assessed at baseline by standardized questionnaires, were associated with recurrent events, including cardiovascular mortality, acute myocardial infarction and revascularization procedures (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty and coronary artery bypass grafting). Adjusting for age, diagnosis at index event, symptoms of heart failure, diabetes mellitus, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, history of hypertension, systolic blood pressure, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, body mass index, and severity of angina pectoris symptoms, the hazard ratio associated with low (lowest quartile) as compared to high social integration (upper quartile) was 2.3 (95% CI 1.2-4.5) and the hazard ratio associated with two or more (upper three quartiles) as compared to one or no depressive symptoms was 1.9 (95% CI 1.02-3.6). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of two or more depressive symptoms and lack of social integration independently predicted recurrent cardiac events in women with coronary heart disease. Women who were free of both these risk factors, had the best prognosis.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1988

[Relation of social integration and personality].

This study aims at describing personality characteristics in three groups of children with different levels of social integration. The three groups were virtually 'confused' with the type of school the children attended at. The first group attended the kind of special school which is shanty towns typical. The second group attended usual State primary schools located in low-income popular areas, and the third group, the same type of school located, however, in medium to high-income residential areas. The Holtzman Inkblot Technique was administered to 120 children (boys and girls), ranging from 8 to 13-year-old's. Triple variance analyses were performed to study the influence of age, sex, social integration, and their interaction among the different personality variables. It was found that the three groups differentiated according to their level of social integration, with different personality traits.

Adolescent↗