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There are layers to this: a social ecological examination of social relationships and health
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Garmon, Jeannie. There are layers to this: a social ecological examination of social relationships and health. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-vayh-g126

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TitleThere are layers to this: a social ecological examination of social relationships and health
NameGarmon, Jeannie (author); Chase, Sabrina (chair); Zha, Peijia (member); Allred, Sarah (member); Natale-Pereira, Ana (member); Rutgers University; Graduate School - Newark
Date Created2021
Other Date2021-10 (degree)
SubjectPublic health, Social research, Neighborhoods -- Health aspects, Belonging (Social psychology), Loneliness -- Health aspects, Adult child abuse victims -- Health and hygiene, Health, Mental health, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), Neighborhood connection, Physical health, Social connection
Extent1 online resource (viii, 136 pages) : illustrations
DescriptionRationale: This study sought to understand how loneliness, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and perceived neighborhood connection are related to self-reported physical and mental health, both individually and through their interactions. Based on the literature and the social ecological model, five empirical hypotheses reflecting the expected relationships between the social connection variables and self-reported physical and mental health were generated and assessed in this study.

Methods: This secondary data analysis utilized data collected through two community health needs assessments (CHNAs) conducted in New Jersey between 2018 and 2019. Holt-Lunstad’s 2018 adaptation of the social ecological model was applied to these data to examine the individual and interaction effects of loneliness, ACEs, and perceived neighborhood connection on physical and mental health. Multivariate regression analyses and interaction effects regression models were used to test assess the hypotheses.

Results: Loneliness, ACE score, and perceived neighborhood connection were each found to have a statistically significant relationship with physical and mental health, after controlling for the sociodemographic variables and sleep. Multiple moderation analyses of the conditional effect of ACEs on health by loneliness and perceived neighborhood connection found that, with physical health as the outcome variable, the interaction between loneliness and ACEs was significant, but the interaction between ACEs and perceived neighborhood connection with physical health as the outcome variable was not; neither interaction was significant with mental health as the outcome variable. Finally, perceived neighborhood connection was found to moderate the relationship between loneliness score and physical health, but not the relationship between loneliness score and mental health.

Conclusion: The 2018 social ecological model as adapted by Holt-Lunstad offers a useful public health framework for exploring the relationships between social relationships and health. Use of the adapted model can guide the development of future research aimed at understanding the different levels of the social system as well as the generation of interventions to address those crosscutting issues that emerge. Further research is needed to develop a deeper understanding of the health impacts of interactions between loneliness, ACEs, and perceived neighborhood connection with the goal of developing successful interventions to address their potential health effects.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-vayh-g126
LanguageEnglish
CollectionGraduate School - Newark Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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