Main description:

This book examines the social aspects of healthy ageing for older individuals. It features more than 15 papers that explore the relevance of the social environment for health on the micro, meso, and macro level. Overall, the book applies a comprehensive contextual approach that includes discussion of how family and friends, neighborhoods, nations, and welfare regimes influence health.

The book first explores the issue on the individual level. It looks at the importance of social capital for health among older people, examines types of social networks and health among older Americans, as well as discusses dynamic social capital and mental health in late life.

Next, the book looks at the issue through a neighborhood and societal context, which takes into account day-to-day interaction in the immediate environment as well as the social, health, and economic policies in place in different regions in the world, including America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

From there, the book goes on to offer implications and recommendations for research and practice, including the management of related concepts of research on well-being and health. It also offers a psychosocial approach to promoting social capital and mental health among older adults.

This book provides health professionals as well as researchers and students in gerontology, sociology, social policy, psychology, and social work with vital insights into the social factors that increase healthy life years and promote well-being.

Contents:

1. Healthy ageing: focus on social capital: Fredrica Nyqvist, Anna K. Forsman.- Part I Social capital and health as a resource for the individual: 2. Social network type and health among older Americans: Sharon Shiovitz-Ezra, Howard Litwin.- 3. Dynamic social capital and mental health in late life: Tal Spalter, Ariela Lowenstein, Noah Lewin-Epstein.- 4. The importance of social capital for health among older people: the Bourdieu perspective: Johanna Muckenhuber, Nathalie Burkert, Franziska Grossschadl, Rasky Eva.- 5. Social capital and neighbourhood in older people's housing: Anne Gray.- Part II Social capital and health in the neighbourhood context: 6. Influence of living arrangements of community dwelling older adults on the association between social capital and health: Julie A. Norstrand, Allen Glicksman.- 7. Perceived social capital in self-defined urban neighbourhoods as a resource for healthy aging: Roman Kaspar, Frank Oswald, Jakob Hebsaker.- 8. Neighbourhood social capital and women's self-rated health - Is there an age pattern? A multi-level study from Northern Sweden: Malin Eriksson, Nawi Ng.- 9. Building social capital may protect loss of well-being among older people: Jane Murray Cramm, Anna Petra Nieboer.- Part III Social capital and health in various countries: 10. Social capital and self-rated health in older populations in lower- and upper-middle income countries in Africa and Asia: Nawi Ng, Malin Eriksson.- 11. Social participation and health: a cross-country investigation among older Europeans: Nicolas Sirven, Caroline Berchet, Howard Litwin.- 12. Social capital and self-rated health among ageing people in urban and rural locations in Finland and in Europe: Olli Nummela.- 13. The role of welfare states and social capital for self-rated health among older Europeans: Mikael Rostila, Mikael Nygard, Fredrica Nyqvist.- Part IV Implications and recommendations for research and practice: 14. How to manage with related concepts of research on wellbeing and health - a theoretical review with special reference to later life: Sakari Suominen.- 15. Social capital and mental health promotion among older adults: the psychosocial approach: Anna K. Forsman, Johanna Nordmyr.- 16. Concluding remarks: Anna K. Forsman, Fredrica Nyqvist.- Index.