News

Research shows relationships and social interaction dramatically affect risk of death

July 29, 2010

By Patricia Nicholson

Relationships and social interaction are a major factor affecting mortality risk, according to a new study.

Social networks include family, friends, coworkers and neighbours. Social interaction has long been recognized as a major factor affecting mental health, but is now emerging as a factor that may have a significant effect on risk of illness and death.

In a meta-analysis (a systematic review of existing research) of 148 research studies that tracked social interaction as well as health outcomes, researchers found that people with stronger social relationships had a 50 per cent decreased risk of dying, compared to people with weak social relationships.

In fact, the researchers concluded that good social interaction was as beneficial to health as quitting smoking. Conversely, low social interaction was deemed to be as detrimental to health as alcoholism, more dangerous than physical inactivity, and twice as harmful as obesity.

Having strong social relationships is based on far more than one’s number of Facebook friends. Researchers have many evidence-based tools to gather information about social networks and interaction. All of the studies included in the analysis used either structural or functional measures of social relationships, or a combination of both. Structural measures include marital status, whether a person lives alone, the size and nature of their social networks, how active they are in those networks, and whether they are socially isolated. Functional factors include levels of emotional, tangible and social support, as well as perceptions of loneliness.

Studies reviewed in the meta-analysis gauged these factors using widely accepted research tools, such as the Social Network Questionnaire, the Social Participation Scale, Inventory of Social Supportive Behaviours and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List. Studies were excluded from the review if marital status was the only indicator of social relationships.

The findings suggest that social networks and relationships may be as vital to physical health and mortality risk as they are to mental health. Low social interaction may be as important a mortality risk as smoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

The study was published in the July 2010 issue of Public Library of Science Medicine.

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