title: Social networks and health status in the elderly: the 'ANZIANI IN-RETE' population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Certain features of the social environment could maintain and even improve not only psychological well-being, but also health and cognition of the elderly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We tested the association between social network characteristics and the number of chronic diseases in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized sample of the elderly population of Brescia, Italy, was evaluated (N = 200, age ≥65 years). We performed a comprehensive geriatric assessment, including information on socio-demographic variables (family, friendships, and acquaintance contacts). We measured each person's social network, i.e., degree, efficiency, and variety.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample included 118 women and 82 men, mean age 77.7 years. The mean number of chronic diseases was 3.5. A higher social network degree, i.e., more social connections, was associated with fewer diseases. We also found that having more contacts with people similar to each other or intense relationships with people who do not know each other were associated with fewer diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More healthy people tend to share certain characteristics of social networks. Our study indicates that it is important to look at diseases and health as complex phenomena, which requires integrating different levels of analysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bianchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Via San Faustino 74/b, 25122, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Flaminio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Squazzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy. n.casnici@unibs.it.
authors.forename: Niccolò
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2273-2320
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Casnici
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Devis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bianchini
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational and Molecular Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Emirena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garrafa
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics and Management, University of Brescia, Via San Faustino 74/b, 25122, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Archetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rozzini
authors.affiliation: Department of Information Engineering, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melchiori
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational and Molecular Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiorentini
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational and Molecular Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uberti
authors.affiliation: Department of Translational and Molecular Medicine, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calza
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marengoni
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Aging; Chronic diseases; Health status; Network degree; Social factors; Social networks