Support-Giving Is Associated With Lower Systemic Inflammation

• Published in: Annals of behavioral medicine 2023-05, Vol.57 (6), p.499-507
• Main Authors: Inagaki, Tristen K, Alvarez, Gabriella M, Orehek, Edward, Ferrer, Rebecca A, Manuck, Stephen B, Abaya, Nicole M, Muscatell, Keely A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Regular; Social Behavior
• ISSN: 0883-6612; 1532-4796
• DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaac059

Abstract Background Support-giving has emerged as a health-relevant social behavior, such that giving more support is associated with better physical health. However, biological mechanisms by which support-giving and health are linked remain unclear. Whether support-giving uniquely relates to health relative to other psychosocial factors is also an open research question. Purpose Two studies test the hypothesis that support-giving is uniquely (over-and-above other psychosocial factors) related to lower systemic inflammation, a biological correlate of health. Methods Cross-sectional associations of support-giving with markers of systemic inflammation (i.e., interleukin-6 [IL-6], C-reactive protein [CRP]) were examined in two independent samples of midlife adults (Study 1, n = 746; Study 2, n = 350). Results Consistent with hypotheses, giving to more social targets (to family and friends, and also volunteering for various causes), but not receiving support from similar targets, was associated with lower IL-6. In conceptual replication and extension with a different measure of support-giving, higher frequency of support-giving behavior was associated with lower IL-6, even after adjusting for social network size and individual differences in social desirability. There were no associations between support-giving and CRP in either sample. Conclusions Future research needs to establish causality and directly test mechanistic pathways, but together, findings reaffirm the health-relevance of support-giving behavior and shed light on a promising biological mechanism by which such effects may occur. Giving support to more people or with a higher frequency is related to lower inflammation, an indicator of physical and mental health. Lay Summary Support-giving behavior and health are linked such that more support-giving is related to better health and longevity for the person giving. How such a link occurs, however, is an open question for research. Two cross-sectional studies test the hypothesis that support-giving behavior relates to lower systemic inflammation, a potential biological pathway linking supportive behavior with health. Results of Study 1 show that giving to more social targets (to family and friends, and also volunteering) is associated with lower inflammation. Receiving support was not associated with inflammation. In a replication and extension, Study 2 shows that a greater frequency of giving is also related to lower systemic inflammation, over and a