Social determinants of health and survival in humans and other animals

The social environment, both in early life and adulthood, is one of the strongest predictors of morbidity and mortality risk in humans. Evidence from long-term studies of other social mammals indicates that this relationship is similar across many species. In addition, experimental studies show that...

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Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 368; no. 6493
Main Authors Snyder-Mackler, Noah, Burger, Joseph Robert, Gaydosh, Lauren, Belsky, Daniel W, Noppert, Grace A, Campos, Fernando A, Bartolomucci, Alessandro, Yang, Yang Claire, Aiello, Allison E, O'Rand, Angela, Harris, Kathleen Mullan, Shively, Carol A, Alberts, Susan C, Tung, Jenny
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 22.05.2020
Subjects
Animal diseases
Animal models
Animal physiology
Animals
Arteriosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Attrition (Research Studies)
Biological activity
Biological evolution
Biologists
Comparative Analysis
Comparative studies
Echoes
Effect Size
Environmental effects
Environmental Influences
Evolution
Fitness
Genetic Fitness
Health risks
Human populations
Humans
Immune response
Integration
Interpersonal Relationship
Laboratory animals
Laboratory tests
Life span
Links
Longevity - genetics
Longevity - physiology
Mammals
Mammals - genetics
Mammals - physiology
Morbidity
Mortality
Populations
Reproductive fitness
Risk
Risk factors
Scientists
Social Determinants of Health
Social Environment
Social Experience
Social factors
Social Integration
Social interactions
Social Status
Species
Stress
Studies
Survival
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Summary:The social environment, both in early life and adulthood, is one of the strongest predictors of morbidity and mortality risk in humans. Evidence from long-term studies of other social mammals indicates that this relationship is similar across many species. In addition, experimental studies show that social interactions can causally alter animal physiology, disease risk, and life span itself. These findings highlight the importance of the social environment to health and mortality as well as Darwinian fitness-outcomes of interest to social scientists and biologists alike. They thus emphasize the utility of cross-species analysis for understanding the predictors of, and mechanisms underlying, social gradients in health.
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Author contributions: J.T., N.S.-M., L.G., C.A.S., and S.C.A. wrote the initial draft of the paper; N.S.-M., J.R.B., F.A.C., S.C.A., and J.T. assembled figures; J.R.B., D.W.B., F.A.C., G.A.N., A.B., Y.C.Y., A.E.A., A.O., C.A.S., and K.M.H. contributed edits to subsequent revisions; all authors contributed to the ideas represented in the review.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aax9553