The health of older adults is a key public health issue, with outcomes not only influenced by individual characteristics but also by social and spatial context. Public spaces, communities, and geographic areas offer varied opportunities for healthy, active, and socially connected living. However, inequalities in access to health-promoting places require further investigation to inform interventions. This study aims to explore how individual, social network, geographic area, and specific place factors are associated with older adults’ visitation to places for social or physical activity. Participants aged 55-75 from South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, Scotland, completed an egocentric social network survey, which included information on the places they visit. Survey data were linked to government records, providing a comprehensive view of area and place attributes. Cross-classified multilevel models will be used to identify predictors of the likelihood of visiting places. Findings will examine whether visitation is associated with: 1) proximity factors (e.g., availability of places within walking distance and actual distance travelled); 2) place factors (e.g., type of place, such as green space or public infrastructure); 3) social network and community factors (e.g., network composition and community belonging); and 4) individual factors (e.g., deprivation and health). This research will identify barriers and facilitators to place visitation, helping to inform the development of interventions that promote the use of places for social connection and physical activity.

The literature about the ageing population has mainly focused on how different aspects influence individuals’ behaviour in the network (e.g., well-being, isolation, and loneliness). However, we do not know enough about the relationships between older people and their caregivers, especially over time and within a community centre. This article tries to fill this gap.

This research was conducted in a community centre in Chile in 2023, with older people and professional caregivers as participants. Three waves were collected at different times of the same year. It asked about social support networks, including various dimensions like advice, positive interactions, friendship, and caregiving networks. Some descriptive and visual analyses are presented, as well as an SAOMs model. In this presentation, the first results of the study will be presented, focusing on how the relationships between the older people in the community centre and their professional caregivers change over time. In addition, it is crucial to understand what may influence seeking advice among all participants.

Food insecurity (FI) is a growing concern among aging populations, yet its relationship with social networks (SN) remains underexplored. This scoping review synthesizes existing evidence on the interplay between FI and SN among older adults, assessing how these concepts are measured and conceptualized. Following the framework by Colquhoun et al. and the recently published PRISMA-ScR checklist, we conducted a comprehensive search covering studies published between 2000–2025. A total of 63 studies met the inclusion criteria, with the majority (67%) conducted in high-income countries and adopting a quantitative approach; only 36% exclusively focused on aging populations. Notably, most studies were published within the past five years, reflecting the increasing recognition of FI and SN as critical aging-related issues. FI was most commonly assessed using standardized tools such as the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), whereas SN was broadly conceptualized in quantitative dimensions and in terms of social support, social capital, and social cohesion, with few standardized measurement frameworks. Existing studies predominantly examine SN as a determinant of FI, while research exploring FI’s impact on SN remains scarce. Given that both concepts are highly dynamic, particularly in aging populations, there is an urgent need for longitudinal and intervention-based studies to better understand the nature and directionality of these relationships. This review highlights the need for standardized SN measures, greater integration of qualitative approaches, and a network-centered perspective in aging research to inform policy and interventions aimed at strengthening food security among older adults.

Social exclusion triggers ‘social pain’ similar to physical pain, shown by physiological responses including cortisol reactivity and neural activation. Both genetic predispositions and environmental factors shape these response variations. The oxytocin receptor gene(OXTR) rs53576 polymorphism, particularly in G allele carriers, influences socio-emotional sensitivity. Additionally, proactively forming social ties(out-degree centrality) influences sensitivity to social cues and expectations. While genetic and social factors can function independently, the understudied gene-environment(G×E) interaction is crucial in determining responses to social situations. Therefore, this study investigates how rs53576 and out-degree centrality jointly impact emotional and neural responses to social exclusion. 52 older adults from a rural Korean village completed a modified Cyberball task during fMRI, which simulated social exclusion through a virtual ball-tossing game with co-participants within the village, whose names and photos were displayed. Post-scan questionnaires assessed emotional distress during exclusion. Participants were categorized by rs53576 G allele presence, with out-degree centrality measured as discussion partners within the village over the past year. Neural responses were analyzed using contrast analysis across three ROIs: social pain(dACC, AI), negative affect(amygdala, ACC), and mentalizing(mPFC, TPJ, precuneus, STS). G carriers exhibited significantly increased emotional distress during social exclusion(β=0.782, p=0.002), particularly when combined with higher out-degree centrality(β=0.862, p=0.001). Emotional distress correlated with activation across these ROIs(β=0.356-0.382, p<0.012). Importantly, neither rs53576 nor out-degree centrality directly affected neural responses, mediated entirely through emotional distress. This mediation was stronger in individuals with higher out-degree centrality(β=0.585-0.628, p<0.028), suggesting complex interactions between biological and social factors influencing neural responses to exclusion through emotional pathways.

According to active ageing theories, older adults who provide services within their families tend to be in better health. It allows them to maintain an important role in the family, which boosts their self-efficacy. It also tends to strengthen the links between providers and recipients. Much of the literature has focused on the profiles of providers and recipients and the quality of their relationship. However, research has paid little attention to the family dynamics into which older adults are integrated. Yet we hypothesise that family dynamics and the propensity of older adults to provide services within their families are closely linked. This study therefore aims to go beyond dyadic ‘provider-recipient’ relationships by considering all the relationships that make up family networks. To do this, we adopt the configuration approach, which sees families as networks of significant family members who are related to each other through interdependant ties. The data we used come from the VLV study, an interdisciplinary study carried out in 2011-2012 on the living and health conditions of people aged 65 and over living in Switzerland (n=3032). The results show that different types of services provided by older adults are significantly related to the density of practical help and conflict within their family network, as well as to the central role they play in it. Our findings underline the importance of considering the whole family network in which older adults are involved in order to understand their propensity to be service providers within their family.

While the relationship between urban-rural spaces and social connectedness has long been a focus of sociological inquiry, recent social and technological changes as well as methodological innovations provide new motivation to consider how place influences sociality, especially among older adults. This study uses survey and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data from 510 adults aged 55 and older in Indiana to investigate how area type and population density affect older adults’ core social networks and momentary interactions. We find that population density and urban-rural area type produce parallel effects. Older adults residing in rural counties as well as counties marked by lower population density reported smaller, denser, and stronger personal networks compared to those residing in urban counties and counties marked by higher population density. Similarly, the momentary analysis reveals that individuals in urban areas and higher-density counties are more likely to interact with friends than be alone, whereas rural and lower-density county residents reported fewer interactions with friends. These findings extend prior research by (1) updating understanding of the relationship between place and social connectedness; (2) providing evidence of population density’s role in shaping the social opportunity structure; and (3) providing evidence that opportunities to engage with new ties may be a key mechanism through which place shapes both momentary and stable interactions.