Background: Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is an important component of living a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, it is important for researchers to identify the factors that influence sleep duration. Aims: The current study has a twofold objective. The first is to see if two types of social support are associated with sleep duration. The…

The purpose of this study is to see if encouragement from fellow church members helps older people develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. The findings indicate that informal church-based support is associated with healthy lifestyles among older African Americans but not older Whites. In addition, the influence of support from fellow church…

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a conceptual model that assesses the following theoretical linkages: (1) people who go to church more often tend to receive more spiritual support from fellow church members (i.e., encouragement to adopt religious teachings and principles); (2) individuals who get more frequent spiritual support are…

Introduces a measure of natural supportive behaviors in studies that examine the relationship between stress, social support, and health among older adults. Based on data from a random community survey of 351 older adults, the psychometric properties and factor structure of the scale are explored. (Author/TE)

Tested for social class differences in social support among older adults. Data suggest social class differences emerge when measures of contact with friends, support provided to others, and satisfaction with support are examined. Significant differences failed to emerge with indicators of contact with family, support received from others, and…

This study is designed to test two hypotheses. The first specifies that older adults who live in dilapidated neighborhoods will receive less social support and encounter more negative interaction with family and friends. The second hypothesis proposes that the relationship between deteriorated neighborhood conditions and social relationships will…

Examined whether older adults dissatisfied with the amount of social support they had received were more likely to rate their health as poorer than elderly people satisfied with the support they had received. Found satisfaction with support to be an important determinant of self-perceived health. (Author/ABB)

Studies exposure to life stress as an explanation for gender differences in older adults' utilization of social support. Results suggest that, as stressful events increase, elderly men and women are equally likely to become more involved in their social network, while gender differences emerge in response to chronic financial strain. (JS)