Centre for Policy on Ageing



Genetic and environmental influences on social support in later life — a longitudinal analysis
Author(s)	C S Bergeman, J M Neiderhiser, Nancy L Pedersen
Journal title	International Journal of Aging and Human Development, vol 53, no 2, 2001
Pages	pp 107-136
Keywords	Biological ageing ; Social characteristics [elderly] ; Family care ; Friend care ; Twins ; Longitudinal surveys ; Sweden.
Annotation	The aetiology of individual differences in social support were assessed over a 6-year period for identical and same-gender fraternal twins raised together or apart from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Ageing (SATSA). The availability of friend support, family support and the perceived adequacy of the social support was assessed three times using eight items from the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction (ISSI). Longitudinal phenotypic correlations indicate that social support is a moderately stable characteristic. Qualitative genetic model-fitting analyses resulted in significant heritability estimates for social support measures on all three occasions; likewise, considerable stability is indicated for genetic effects; whilst non-shared environmental influences were substantial, but less stable, contributors to social support. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-020118202 A
Classmark	BH: F: P6:SJ: P6:SX: SVR: 3J: 76P
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...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing.