Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2/2008

01-02-2008 | ORIGINAL PAPER

Health-related quality of life and health behaviors by social and emotional support

Their relevance to psychiatry and medicine

Authors: Tara W. Strine, MPH, Daniel P. Chapman, PhD MSc, Lina Balluz, ScD, Ali H. Mokdad, PhD

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 2/2008

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Social and emotional support is an important construct, which has been associated with a reduced risk of mental illness, physical illness, and mortality. Despite its apparent relevance to health, there have been no recent state or national population-based U.S. studies regarding social and emotional support. In order to better address this issue, we examined health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and health behaviors by level of social and emotional support in community-dwelling adults in the United States and its territories.

Methods

Data were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based, random digit telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population aged ≥18 years. In 2005, one social and emotional support question, four HRQOL questions, two disability questions, one life satisfaction question, and four health behavior questions were administered in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. An additional five HRQOL questions were administered in two states.

Results

An estimated 8.6% of adults reported that they rarely/never received social and emotional support; ranging in value from 4.2% in Minnesota to 12.4% in the U.S. Virgin Islands. As the level of social and emotional support decreased, the prevalence of fair/poor general health, dissatisfaction with life, and disability increased, as did the mean number of days of physical distress, mental distress, activity limitation, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, insufficient sleep, and pain. Moreover, the prevalence of smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, and heavy drinking increased with decreasing level of social and emotional support. Additionally, the mean number of days of vitality slightly decreased with decreasing level of social and emotional support; particularly between those who always/usually received social and emotional support and those who sometimes received support.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the assessment of social and emotional support is highly congruent with the practice of psychiatry. Assessment of social and emotional support, both in psychiatric and medical settings, may identify risk factors germane to adverse health behaviors, and foster interventions designed to improve the mental and physical health of at risk segments of the population.
Literature
1.
Achat H, Kawachi I, Levine S, Berkey C, Coakley E, Colditz G (1998) Social networks, stress and health-related quality of life. Qual Life Res 7(8):735–750PubMedCrossRef
2.
Andresen EM, Catlin TK, Wyrwich KW, Jackson-Thompson J (2003) Retest reliability of surveillance questions on health related quality of life. J Epidemiol Community Health 57(5):339–343PubMedCrossRef
3.
Bastardo YM, Kimberlin CL (2000) Relationship between quality of life, social support and disease-related factors in HIV-infected persons in Venezuela. AIDS Care 12(5):673–684PubMedCrossRef
4.
Berkman LF (1995) The role of social relations in health promotion. Psychosom Med 57(3):245–254PubMed
5.
Blazer DG (1982) Social support and mortality in an elderly community population. Am J Epidemiol 115(5):684–694PubMed
6.
7.
Broadhead WE, Kaplan BH, James SA, Wagner EH, Schoenbach VJ, Grimson R et al (1983) The epidemiologic evidence for a relationship between social support and health. Am J Epidemiol 117(5):521–537PubMed
8.
Brown SL, Nesse RM, Vinokur AD, Smith DM (2003) Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: results from a prospective study of mortality. Psychol Sci 14(4):320–327PubMedCrossRef
9.
Burgoyne R, Renwick R (2004) Social support and quality of life over time among adults living with HIV in the HAART era. Soc Sci Med 58:1353–1366PubMedCrossRef
10.
11.
12.
Cohen S (1988) Psychosocial models of the role of social support in the etiology of physical disease. Health Psychol 7(3):269–297PubMedCrossRef
13.
Courtens AM, Stevens FC, Crebolder HF, Philipsen H (1996) Longitudinal study on quality of life and social support in cancer patients. Cancer Nurs 19(3):162–169PubMedCrossRef
14.
DiMatteo MR (2004) Social support and patient adherence to medical treatment: a meta-analysis. Health Psychol 23(2):207–218PubMedCrossRef
15.
Duncan TE, McAuley E (1993) Social support and efficacy cognitions in exercise adherence: a latent growth curve analysis. J Behav Med 16(2):199–218PubMedCrossRef
16.
Eyler AA, Brownson RC, Donatelle RJ, King AC, Brown D, Sallis JF (1999) Physical activity social support and middle- and older-aged minority women: results from a US survey. Soc Sci Med 49(6):781–789PubMedCrossRef
17.
Gielen AC, McDonnell KA, Wu AW, O’Campo P, Faden R (2001) Quality of life among women living with HIV: the importance violence, social support, and self care behaviors. Soc Sci Med 52(2):315–322PubMedCrossRef
18.
Hale CJ, Hannum JW, Espelage DL (2005) Social support and physical health: the importance of belonging. J Am Coll Health 53(6):276–284PubMedCrossRef
19.
Hansson L (2006) Determinants of quality of life in people with severe mental illness. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 429:46–50PubMedCrossRef
20.
Heaney CA, Israel BA (1997) Chapter 9. Social networks and social support. In: Glanz K, Lewis FM, Rimer BK (eds) Health behavior and health education: theory, research and practice, 2nd edn. Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, pp 179–205
21.
22.
Hirsch BJ (1980) Natural support systems and coping with major life changes. Am J Community Psychol 8:159–172CrossRef
23.
Holzman D (2004) The behavioral risk factor surveillance system. In: Blumenthal DS (ed) Community-based health research issues and methods. Springer, New York, pp 115–131
24.
Honda K, Kagawa-Singer M (2006) Cognitive mediators linking social support networks to colorectal cancer screening adherence. J Behav Med 29(5):449–460PubMedCrossRef
25.
Ingram M, Gallegos G, Elenes J (2005) Diabetes is a community issue: the critical elements of a successful outreach and education model on the U.S.–Mexico border. Prev Chronic Dis 2(1):A15PubMed
26.
Israel BA (1982) Social networks and health status: linking theory, research, and practice. Patient Couns Health Educ 4:65–79PubMedCrossRef
27.
Jackson T (2006) Relationships between perceived close social support and health practices within community samples of American women and men. J Psychol 140(3):229–246PubMed
28.
29.
Jia H, Uphold CR, Wu S, Reid K, Findley K, Duncan PW (2004) Health-related quality of life among men with HIV infection: effects of social support, coping, and depression. AIDS Patient Care STDs 18(10):594–603PubMedCrossRef
30.
Keyes CL, Michalec B, Kobau R, Zahran H, Zack MM, Simoes EJ (2005) Social support and health-related quality of life among older adults—Missouri, 2000. MMWR 54(17):433–436
31.
Kirksey KM, Hamilton MJ, Holt-Ashley M (2003) Correlates of perceived health in women diagnosed with HIV disease. Internet J Adv Nurs Pract 5(2)
32.
Krause N, Shaw BA (2000) Giving social support to others, socioeconomic status, and changes in self-esteem in late life. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 55(6):S323–S333PubMed
33.
Langford CP, Bowsher J, Maloney JP, Lillis PP (1997) Social support: a conceptual analysis. J Adv Nurs 25(1):95–100PubMedCrossRef
34.
Lin N, Simeone RS, Ensel WM, Kuo W (1979) Social support, stressful life events, and illness: a model and an empirical test. J Health Soc Behav 20(2):108–119PubMedCrossRef
35.
Lyyra TM, Heikkinen RL (2006) Perceived social support and mortality in older people. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 61(3):S147–S152PubMed
36.
McCurtis Witherspoon K, Williams Richardson A (2006) Sisters in support together against substances (SISTAS): an alcohol abuse prevention group for Black women. J Ethn Subst Abuse 5(3):49–60PubMedCrossRef
37.
McNeill LH, Wyrwich KW, Brownson RC, Clark EM, Kreuter MW (2006) Individual, social environmental, and physical environmental influences on physical activity among black and white adults: a structural equation analysis. Ann Behav Med 31(1):36–44PubMedCrossRef
38.
Mellon S, Northouse LL, Weiss LK (2006) A population-based study of the quality of life of cancer survivors and their family caregivers. Cancer Nurs 29(2):120–131, quiz 132–133PubMedCrossRef
39.
Mermelstein R, Cohen S, Lichtenstein E, Baer JS, Kamarck T (1986) Social support and smoking cessation and maintenance. J Consult Clin Psychol 54(4):447–453PubMedCrossRef
40.
Mielenz T, Jackson E, Currey S, DeVellis R, Callahan LF (2006) Psychometric properties of the centers for disease control and prevention health-related quality of life (CDC HRQOL) items in adults with arthritis. H Qual Life Outcomes 4:66 doi:10.1186/1477-7525-4-66[Provisional]. Available at: http://​www.​hqlo.​com/​content/​4/​1/​66
41.
Mokdad AH, Stroup DF, Giles WH (2003) Public health surveillance for behavioral risk factors in a changing environment. Recommendations from the behavioral risk factor surveillance team. MMWR Recomm Rep 52(RR-9):1–12PubMed
42.
Moriarty DG, Zack MM, Kobau R (2003) The centers for disease control and prevention’s healthy days measures—population tracking of perceived physical and mental health over time. Health Qual Life Outcomes 1(1):37PubMedCrossRef
43.
Muhlenkamp AF, Sayles JA (1986) Self-esteem, social support, and positive health practices. Nurs Res 35(6):334–338PubMedCrossRef
44.
Nasser EH, Overholser JC (2005) Recovery from major depression: the role of support from family, friends, and spiritual beliefs. Acta Psychiatr Scand 111(2):125–132PubMedCrossRef
45.
Nollen NL, Catley D, Davies G, Hall M, Ahluwalia JS (2005) Religiosity, social support, and smoking cessation among urban African American smokers. Addict Behav 30(6):1225–1229PubMedCrossRef
46.
Nunes JA, Raymond SJ, Nicholas PK, Leuner JD, Webster A (1995) Social support, quality of life, immune function, and health in persons living with HIV. J Holist Nurs 13(2):174–198PubMedCrossRef
47.
Park EW, Tudiver F, Schultz JK, Campbell T (2004) Does enhancing partner support and interaction improve smoking cessation? A meta-analysis. Ann Fam Med 2(2):170–174PubMedCrossRef
48.
Rook KS (1984) The negative side of social interaction: impact on psychological well-being. J Pers Soc Psychol 46:1097–1108PubMedCrossRef
49.
Sammarco A (2001) Perceived social support, uncertainty, and quality of life of younger breast cancer survivors. Cancer Nurs 24(3):212–219PubMedCrossRef
50.
Schlenk EA, Hart LK (1984) Relationship between health locus of control, health value, and social support and compliance of persons with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Care 7(6):566–574PubMedCrossRef
51.
Schwarzer R, Leppin A (1991) Social support and health: a theoretical and empirical overview. J Soc Pers Relat 8:99–127CrossRef
52.
Seeman TE (1996) Social ties and health: the benefits of social integration. Ann Epidemiol 6(5):442–451PubMedCrossRef
53.
Seeman TE (2000) Health promoting effects of friends and family on health outcomes in older adults. Am J Health Promot 14(6):362–370PubMed
54.
Srisurapanont MSS, Jarusuraisin N (2001) HIV-seropositive results, health-related quality of life and social support: a 24-week prospective study in Thailand. AIDS Patient Care STDs 15(4):211–215PubMedCrossRef
55.
Steptoe A, Wardle J, Pollard TM, Canaan L, Davies GJ (1996) Stress, social support and health-related behavior: a study of smoking, alcohol consumption and physical exercise. J Psychosom Res 41(2):171–180PubMedCrossRef
56.
Strine TW, Chapman DP (2005) Associations of frequent sleep insufficiency with health-related quality of life and health behaviors. Sleep Med 6:23–27PubMedCrossRef
57.
Strine TW, Chapman DP, Kobau R, Balluz L, Mokdad A (2004) Depression, anxiety, and physical impairments and quality of life in the U.S. noninstitutionalized population. Psychiatr Serv 55:1408–1413PubMedCrossRef
58.
Strine TW, Okoro CA, Balluz L et al (2005) Health-related quality of life and health risk behaviors among smokers. Am J Prev Med 28:182–187PubMedCrossRef
59.
Stroebe W (2000) Moderators of the stress–health relationship. In: Manstead T (ed) Social psychology and health. Open University Press, Buckingham, England, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pp 244–254
60.
61.
Tsutsumi A, Tsutsumi K, Kayaba K, Igarashi M (1998) Health-related behaviors, social support, and community morale. Int J Behav Med 5(2):166–182PubMedCrossRef
62.
Turner RJ, Marino F (1994) Social support and social structure: a descriptive epidemiology. J Health Soc Behav 35(3):193–212PubMedCrossRef
63.
64.
65.
Uchino BN (2006) Social support and health: a review of physiological processes potentially underlying links to disease outcomes. J Behav Med 29(4):377–387PubMedCrossRef
66.
Verheijden MW, Bakx JC, van Weel C, Koelen MA, van Staveren WA (2005) Role of social support in lifestyle-focused weight management interventions. Eur J Clin Nutr 59(Suppl 1):S179–S186PubMedCrossRef
67.
Wilkins K (2003) Social support and mortality in seniors. Health Rep 14(3):21–34PubMed
68.
Wing RR, Jeffery RW (1999) Benefits of recruiting participants with friends and increasing social support for weight loss and maintenance. J Consult Clin Psychol 67(1):132–138PubMedCrossRef
69.
Woodruff SI, Talavera GA, Elder JP (2002) Evaluation of a culturally appropriate smoking cessation intervention for Latinos. Tob Control 11(4):361–367PubMedCrossRef
70.
Wortman CB, Conway TL (1985) The role of social support in adaptation and recovery from physical illness. In: Cohen S (ed) Social support and health. Academy Press, San Diego, pp 281–302
71.
Yen CF, Kuo CY, Tsai PT, Ko CH, Yen JY, Chen TT (2006) Correlations of quality of life with adverse effects of medication, social support, course of illness, psychopathology, and demographic characteristics in patients with panic disorder. Depress Anxiety (ahead of print)
72.
Yoshimasu K, Sugahara H, Tokunaga S, Akamine M, Kondo T, Fujisawa K, Miyashita K, Kubo C (2006) Gender differences in psychiatric symptoms related to suicidal ideation in Japanese patients with depression. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 60:563–569PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Health-related quality of life and health behaviors by social and emotional support
Their relevance to psychiatry and medicine
Authors
Tara W. Strine, MPH
Daniel P. Chapman, PhD MSc
Lina Balluz, ScD
Ali H. Mokdad, PhD
Publication date
01-02-2008
Publisher
D. Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 2/2008
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-007-0277-x

Other articles of this Issue 2/2008

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2/2008 Go to the issue

ORIGINAL PAPER

Prevalence of depressive symptoms in university students from Germany, Denmark, Poland and Bulgaria

ORIGINAL PAPER

Ethnic Norwegian and ethnic minority adolescents in Oslo, Norway

ORIGINAL PAPER

A little knowledge: Caregiver burden in schizophrenia in Malawi

ORIGINAL PAPER

Impact of shared mental health care in the general population on subjects’ perceptions of mental health care and on mental health status

ORIGINAL PAPER

Mental health of recently resettled refugees from the Middle East in Sweden: the impact of pre-resettlement trauma, resettlement stress and capacity to handle stress

ORIGINAL PAPER

Participation in a trauma-focused epidemiological investigation may result in sensitization for current health problems