Positive and negative social exchanges and disability in later life: an investigation of trajectories of change

OBJECTIVES: Various aspects of one's social ties are thought to influence the onset, progression, and course of disability in older adulthood. Although the longitudinal course of social ties and physical disability is likely to be marked by fluctuations over time and intraindividual variation, few studies have explored how patterns of change in positive and negative social exchanges relate to patterns of change in disability across time. The current study, therefore, examined the extent to which distinct longitudinal trajectories of positive and negative exchanges were associated with patterns of physical disability. METHODS: We followed a sample of 482 community-dwelling older adults with little to no disability at baseline for 2 years. RESULTS: Results identified multiple, distinct trajectory groups for positive and negative exchanges and disability. Latent class growth analyses revealed that individuals with chronically high or low positive exchanges were likely to experience low and increasing levels of disability. With respect to negative exchanges, individuals with moderately increasing negative exchanges showed patterns of increasing disability and disability remission, whereas chronically low or absent negative exchanges were associated with low and increasing levels of disability. DISCUSSION: Findings highlight the importance of evaluating multiple trajectories of change in older adults' social exchanges and disability.