Identification and characteristics of social connection latent profiles in older adults: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study

Social disconnection is associated with poor health outcomes including worse psychological well-being and cognitive function, and greater morbidity and mortality. Conceptually, social connection comprises two distinct aspects: structural and functional. Modeling these aspects together enables examination of discrepancies between them, as well as their influence on health outcomes. This study took a person-centered approach as opposed to the variable-centered approach and aimed to examine the characteristics of distinct patterns of social connection in older adults based on both structural and functional aspects.