Later-life social network profiles of male war survivors in Vietnam: Implications for health behaviors

Abstract

Emerging research emphasizes early-life war exposure as a key determinant of later-life health in older adults from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, the linkages between war exposure, social networks, and later-life health behaviors have received little attention. Using data from the 2018 Vietnam Health and Aging Study, we investigate how early-life war experiences relate to the social networks and health behaviors of 1195 Vietnamese men aged 60+ who survived the Vietnam War (1965–1975). We utilize latent class analysis to identify men's network types and examine the associations between military service, war trauma, PTSD, and later-life network profiles. Furthermore, we assess the linkages between war experiences and risky health behaviors (physical inactivity, frequent alcohol and tobacco consumption) and the moderating effect of social networks on these behaviors. Our findings reveal that exposure to wartime malevolent living conditions, as opposed to direct war violence, and recent PTSD symptoms are linked to lower support levels in respondents' network profiles. Moreover, although diverse and supportive networks correspond to a reduced risk of physical inactivity, they are associated with higher risks of frequent alcohol consumption and are marginally associated with tobacco use. Importantly, social network profiles moderate the relationship between PTSD symptoms and the risk of frequent alcohol consumption. This evidence underscores the need for policymakers to consider the historical and social contexts of LMICs when deploying social support as a health intervention.