Familia Matters? Social Support Networks Among Older Latina/os in the United States

Abstract

Cultural values and socioeconomic disadvantage make social support networks crucial to older Latina/os’ health and well-being. Extensive research concerning social support in later life has demonstrated that the complex, multidimensional nature of older adults’ social support networks is influenced by many personal and situational characteristics. The convoy model of social relations is augmented with acculturation theory to assess the extent to which sociocultural characteristics relevant to immigrant groups, such as U.S. nativity status, language preference, and subgroup heritage, may be differentially associated with social network structure, function, and perceived quality among older Latina/o respondents (N=1355) using the 2012/2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. More specifically, the first study used a cluster analysis to explore what social support network types exist among older Latina/os. Four network types were identified, including Extended Family (7%), Co-Resident Family (30%), Restricted Family (37%), and Friends Focused (26%) types. Each type was assessed for differences across nativity status, language preference, subgroup heritage, and neighborhood social cohesion. Most older Latina/os in the Extended Family network were foreign-born or took the questionnaire in Spanish. Moreover, neighborhood social cohesion was significantly higher among older Latina/os in the Extended and Co-Resident Family types when compared to Latina/os in the Restricted and Friends Focused network types. Social support network types were also assessed in relation to three subfacets of loneliness. The most common network, the Restricted Family type, was consistently associated with greater loneliness. More acculturated Latina/os (U.S.-born or English questionnaire) reported greater emotional loneliness when they belonged to the Restricted Family group. However, less acculturated Latina/os (foreign-born or Spanish questionnaire) reported greater collective loneliness when they belonged to the Friends Focused network group the only network type not centered around the family. The second study also examined social support network types, but in relation to language preference and perceived positive and negative quality of the overall social support network. Positive social support was higher among older Latina/os who preferred Spanish compared to those who preferred English, but there were no differences in negative support. The Extended and Co-Resident Family network types were associated with greater positive support when compared to the Restricted Family and Friends Focused types, but again, there were no differences in overall negative support across network types. Additionally, there was no influence of language preference on the association between network structure and support. The third study investigated structural dimensions of support in association with ambivalence about emotional and instrumental support within three specific relationship types. Nativity status, language preference, and subgroup heritage were also examined as potential moderators. Being foreign-born, taking the questionnaire in Spanish, and being non-Mexican-American were associated with higher rates of reporting ambivalence versus positivity about support. Fewer social ties and closer geographic proximity to social ties was associated with a greater likelihood of ambivalence. Among foreign-born participants more specifically, reporting infrequent contact with relatives was associated with greater likelihood of ambivalence about support but patterns were inconsistent across relationship and support types. Findings suggest that older Latina/os' social support networks are heterogeneous and not uniformly satisfactory among older Latina/os. Factors associated with acculturation contribute to intragroup differences in structure, function, and perceived quality. This dissertation can inform culturally appropriate interventions aiming to bolster older Latina/os and their social support networks, particularly among Latina/os who are more vulnerable to experiencing inadequate support.