Social Networks as a Key Health Determinant in Acute Illness Recovery: A Lesson from the COVID-19 Pandemic - 11/02/25
, Jihui L. Diaz, PhD b, Karissa Weidman, MD c, Julia Graham, MD a, Parag Goyal, MD, MSc d, Mangala Rajan, MBA e, Jennifer Lau, MPH e, Laura Pinheiro, PhD e, Leena Rachid, BS g, Will Simmons, MPH f, Edward J. Schenck, MD, MS a, Monika M. Safford, MD e, Lindsay Lief, MD a
Bienvenido a EM-consulte, la referencia de los profesionales de la salud.
Artículo gratuito.
Conéctese para beneficiarse!
Abstract |
Background |
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of considering social determinants of health in health outcomes. Within this spectrum of determinants, social networks garnered attention as the pandemic highlighted the negative effects of social isolation in the context of social distancing measures. Postpandemic, examining the role social networks play in COVID-19 recovery can help guide patient care and shape future health policies. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social networks and self-rated health change, as well as physical function, in patients recovering from COVID-19 pneumonia.
Methods |
This was a retrospective cohort study utilizing clinical data from 2 New York City hospitals and a 9-month follow-up survey of COVID-19 pneumonia survivors. We evaluated a composite Social Network Score from the 6-item Lubben Social Network Scale and its association with 2 outcomes: 1) self-rated health change and 2) physical function.
Results |
A total of 208 patients were included in this study. A 1-point increase in the Social Network Score was associated with greater odds of both same or improved self-rated health change (odds ratio [OR] 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.12, P = .01), as well as unimpaired physical function (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03-1.14, P < .01).
Conclusion |
This study emphasized the importance of social networks as a social determinant of health among patients recovering from COVID-19 hospitalization. Targeted interventions to enhance social networks may benefit not only COVID-19 patients but also individuals recovering from other acute illnesses.
El texto completo de este artículo está disponible en PDF.Keywords : COVID-19, Recovery, Social network, Social support, Social determinants of health
Esquema
| Funding: This study was supported by the NHLBI 2T32HL134629-06A1 grant, and the Stony Wold-Herbert Fund. |
|
| Conflict of Interest:: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. |
|
| Authorship: All authors have contributed substantially to the project and had access to the data and a role in manuscript preparation. DPD: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Methodology, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Formal analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization; JLD: Writing – original draft, Supervision, Formal analysis, Conceptualization; KW: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Conceptualization; JG: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization; PG: Writing – review & editing, Data curation, Conceptualization; MR: Writing – review & editing, Data curation; JL: Writing – review & editing, Data curation; LP: Writing – review & editing, Data curation, Conceptualization; LR: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization; WS: Writing – review & editing, Methodology, Formal analysis; EJS: Writing – review & editing, Methodology, Conceptualization; MMS: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Supervision, Methodology, Conceptualization; LL: Writing – review & editing, Writing – original draft, Supervision, Conceptualization. |
Vol 138 - N° 3
P. 541 - mars 2025 Regresar al número
Artículo precedente
- A Pragmatic Study of Cardiovascular Disease During Long-Term COVID-19
- James F. Howick, Petar Saric, Mohamed Elwazir, Darrell B. Newman, Patricia A. Pellikka, Annelise S. Howick, John C. O'Horo, Leslie T. Cooper, Abhishek J. Deshmukh, Ravindra Ganesh, Ryan Hurt, Bernard Gersh, John P. Bois
- Exploring Cognitive Dysfunction in Long COVID Patients: Eye Movement Abnormalities and Frontal-Subcortical Circuits Implications via Eye-Tracking and Machine Learning
- Julián Benito-León, José Lapeña, Lorena García-Vasco, Constanza Cuevas, Julie Viloria-Porto, Alberto Calvo-Córdoba, Estíbaliz Arrieta-Ortubay, María Ruiz-Ruigómez, Carmen Sánchez-Sánchez, Cecilia García-Cena
Bienvenido a EM-consulte, la referencia de los profesionales de la salud.