Payesh (Apr 2018)
Association of social networks and health-related quality of life among adults
Abstract
Objective (s): In recent years, many studies have shown that social networks and health-related quality of life are highly related to each other. This study aimed to determine the relationship between social networks and health-related quality of life in adults in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Tehran, Iran, in 2016. Study population included all people over 25 years old living in Tehran. Cluster sampling method was used to select 1900 samples. Social Network Index (SNI) was applied to determine the degree of participation in social networks and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used for assessing the health-related quality of life. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyzing data. Multilevel analysis was applied to determine the association between social networks and health-related quality of life. Results: Out of 1,900 study participants, 979 (51.5 %) were male and 921 (48.5 %) were female. The mean age (± SD) of participants was 41.2±13.1 years. The results of principal components analysis showed that 904 participants (47.6 %) reported good, 660 (34.7 %) fair and 336 (17.7 %) poor health. From all participants, 336(17.7 %) had a strong, 945(7/49 %) moderate and 619 (32.6 %) had a poor participation in social networks. Statistical tests showed that the differences in health in various groups in terms of participation in social networks was significant (P <0.0001). Also, the association among marital status (P <0.0001), visiting relatives (P <0.0001) and friends (P = 0.01), membership in religious groups (P = 0.01), virtual social networks (P = 0.01), age (P <0.0001), sex (P = 0.03), family size (P <0.0001) and health-related quality of life was statistically significant. Conclusion: The study showed that participation in social networks and increasing communication among relatives and friends increases the quality of life.
