Researchers at the University of Queensland have found that women in their 40s and 50s who are satisfied with the quality of their social connections are less likely to develop multiple chronic diseases later in life. Research published General Psychiatry.
The relationship between poor social connections and poor health has been proven before, but so far research has focused on individual illnesses or a person’s marital status. The authors of the new study point out that our lives are more complex: it’s possible to be married or have a large social network and still be extremely socially unhappy.
Researchers used data from 7694 participants in the 1996 Australian Women’s Health Long-Term Study (ALSWH), ages 45-50. Their health and well-being were assessed using surveys every three years until 2016.
The researchers found that middle-aged women with the lowest relationship satisfaction were more than twice as likely to develop multiple chronic diseases than women who were highly satisfied with their relationships.
They were more likely to suffer from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer, depression and anxiety.
Scientists believe that unsatisfying social connections can be as serious a risk factor for disease as obesity, lack of physical activity, or alcohol consumption. At the same time, global health strategies do not view poor social connections as a risk factor for chronic diseases.