Social Embeddedness and Well-being: Moderating Role of MI, age and Gender. the Hunt Study, Norway

Abstract

Background: Social embeddedness is connected with well-being but little is known if experiencing MI, age and gender moderate this relation. Methods: MI-survivors (n=780) and MI-free participants (n=44820) in HUNT Study were followed-up after 10 years. Social embeddedness at HUNT2 (1995-1997) was used as a main predictor. Three positive (self-rated health, positive affect, general life satisfaction) and 3 negative (everyday life impairment, anxiety, depression) well-being indicators at HUNT2 and HUNT3 (2006-2008) were outcomes. Findings: Hierarchical regression revealed that higher social embeddedness predicted higher positive and lower negative well-being indicators both in cross-sectional and prospective analyses. Age moderated some of the relations: a negative relation between social embeddedness and current everyday life impairment and a positive relation between social embeddedness and future positive affect were stronger in older age, while a positive relation between social embeddedness and current self-rated health was stronger in younger age. Discussion: Social embeddedness should be an issue of interventions aimed at well-being improvement both in older and younger adults.