Date of Award:

5-2008

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Sociology and Anthropology

Department name when degree awarded

Sociology

Committee Chair(s)

H. Reed Geertsen

Committee

H. Reed Geertsen

Committee

Michael B. Toney

Committee

Susan E. Dawson

Abstract

This study was done to examine the relationship between self-rated health and social/community relations. Due to advances in modern medicine, multifactorial diseases are more prevalent than acute infectious diseases and a greater understanding of the impact sociological variables has on health is of great importance. In prior research, self-rated health has been demonstrated to be a robust predictor of mortality, even when controlling for other variables known to impact health. Presence of a strong social network and attachments to community have been shown to be protective of self-perceptions of health.

The Health and Living study was conducted in the Bear River Health District located in northern Utah in 2004 utilizing a mail survey. The relationship between self-rated health and social network indicators in addition to community attachment variables was evaluated statistically. Demographic variables were also analyzed. Church attendance, number of friends, income, age, and education were found to be statistically significant.

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Included in

Sociology Commons

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