The Role of Social Networks in Adult Health

The goal of this special issue is to highlight recent research examining the role of social networks in adults' physical health.

The studies featured in this special issue used diverse measures to quantify social relationships, ranging from network size or composition and social integration to availability of a confidante and quality of social interactions. Each of these measures provides important information; in fact, it may be ideal to have a sense of the size of an individual's network and the quality of their social interactions.

The Role of Social Networks in Adult Health: Introduction to the Special Issue
Pages 501–504
Martire, Lynn M.; Franks, Melissa M.

Who Needs a Friend? Marital Status Transitions and Physical Health Outcomes in Later Life
Pages 505–515
Bookwala, Jamila; Marshall, Kirsten I.; Manning, Suzanne W.

Social Relationships, Leisure Activity, and Health in Older Adults
Pages 516–523
Chang, Po-Ju; Wray, Linda; Lin, Yeqiang

Physical and Social Activities Mediate the Associations Between Social Network Types and Ventilatory Function in Chinese Older Adults
Pages 524–534
Cheng, Sheung-Tak; Leung, Edward M. F.; Chan, Trista Wai Sze

Social Integration and Pulmonary Function in the Elderly
Pages 535–543
Crittenden, Crista N.; Pressman, Sarah D.; Cohen, Sheldon; Janicki-Deverts, Denise; Smith, Bruce W.; Seeman, Teresa E.

Social Network Characteristics Associated With Health Promoting Behaviors Among Latinos
Pages 544–553
Marquez, Becky; Elder, John P.; Arredondo, Elva M.; Madanat, Hala; Ji, Ming; Ayala, Guadalupe X.

Negative Social Interactions and Incident Hypertension Among Older Adults
Pages 554–565
Sneed, Rodlescia S.; Cohen, Sheldon

Dyadic Collaboration in Shared Health Behavior Change: The Effects of a Randomized Trial to Test a Lifestyle Intervention for High-Risk Latinas
Pages 566–575
Sorkin, Dara H.; Mavandadi, Shahrzad; Rook, Karen S.; Biegler, Kelly A.; Kilgore, David; Dow, Emily; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen