Life-Space Mobility, Transportation, and the Companionship Network of Members of a Hispanic Senior Center

Rebecca L Mauldin; Rupal Parekh; John P Connolly; Stephen P Mattingly; Aiman Mushtaq; Kayo Fujimoto

doi:10.1093/geronb/gbae053

Life-Space Mobility, Transportation, and the Companionship Network of Members of a Hispanic Senior Center

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2024 Mar 30:gbae053. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbae053. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Rebecca L Mauldin¹, Rupal Parekh², John P Connolly³, Stephen P Mattingly⁴, Aiman Mushtaq⁵, Kayo Fujimoto⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA.
² School of Social Work, University of Connecticut, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.
³ UTA Libraries, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA.
⁴ Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA.
⁵ Department of Social Work, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
⁶ Department of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.

PMID: 38554290
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbae053

Abstract

Objectives: Companions (i.e., friends who spend time together) are important for the well-being of older adults. Senior centers in the United States are places for older adults to participate in group activities and form and maintain companionships. However, differences in mobility and transportation may affect the ability of older adults to leverage senior center activities into actual companionships.

Methods: This social network analysis was conducted to characterize the companionship network among members of a senior center in relation to their life-space mobility and transportation resources. An exponential random graph model was estimated to identify mobility- and transportation-related correlates of the likelihood of a companionship tie among senior center members (N = 42).

Results: Members had an average of 2 companionships with one another (M = 2.2, SD = 2.7). Companionships were more likely for members with greater life-space mobility (p = .009), who attended the senior center more frequently (p = .004), with automobile ownership in their households (p = .034), and who were not transportation cost-burdened (i.e., spent less than 15% of their income on transportation, p = .005). Demographic characteristics, limitations on instrumental activities of daily living, and being at risk for depression were not significantly associated with the likelihood of companionships.

Discussion: These findings extend previous knowledge of the role of life-space mobility and transportation in supporting general social participation for older adults to include the importance of transportation and mobility for having companions within a senior center.

Keywords: Exponential Random Graph Models; Friendships; Social Engagement; Social Networks.