Social Relationships and Use of Hypertensive Medicine in China

• In Event: 343 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Social Capital, Social Support, and Health

Abstract

Objectives: Building on previous research in developed countries, we examined the behavioral and psychological mechanisms of the association between social relationships and hypertensive medication in China stratified by age and gender. Methods: Using nationally representative data (N=14,393) from Wave 1 of the World Health Organization’s Study on Global Aging and Adult Health in China collected between 2007 and 2010, we estimated a series of logistic regression and nested models to examine the mediating effects of the behavioral- and psychological- mechanisms and the moderating effects of age and gender. Results: Our findings suggested that frequent contacts with informal networks of friends, relatives and coworkers, associated with reduced odds of hypertensive medication with stronger effects for women compared to men. Other measures of social relationships, the analyses of two mechanisms, and moderating effects of age were insignificant. Conclusions: We partially confirmed the protective effects of social relationships and hypertension in China. Given the limitations of using secondary and cross-sectional data, we urged that research using longitudinal data and better measures on social relationships is needed for China and other understudied regions.

Authors

• Ha Ngoc Trinh, University of Utah

• Ming Wen, University of Utah