Social network types in the CLSA at baseline with means and SDs reported for each social network variable
| Friend focused | Few friends | Diverse | Family focused | Community focused | Close family | Restricted | Overall | |
| N for each cluster (%) | 3664 (21.5) | 3177 (18.6) | 2400 (14.1) | 2343 (13.7) | 2293 (13.4) | 1952 (11.4) | 1223 (7.2) | 17 051 |
| No of children | 1.54 (0.75) | 1.41 (1.56) | 1.77 (0.81) | 1.56 (0.76) | 1.53 (0.76) | 1.82 (0.85) ↑ | 1.59 (0.80) | 1.58 (0.78) |
| No of siblings | 1.69 (0.83) ↓↓ | 2.52 (1.07) | 2.93 (0.94) ↑ | 2.95 (0.90) ↑ | 1.74 (0.89) ↓↓ | 3.44 (0.68) ↑↑ | 1.88 (1.10) ↓ | 2.41 (1.11) |
| No of close friends | 2.64 (0.99) | 1.75 (0.91) ↓↓ | 3.15 (0.97) ↑↑ | 2.55 (1.04) | 2.85 (1.07) ↑ | 2.43 (1.12) | 1.90 (1.02) ↓↓ | 2.48 (1.11) |
| No of neighbours | 2.36 (1.07) | 1.80 (0.96) ↓↓ | 3.31 (0.94) ↑↑ | 2.36 (1.09) | 2.75 (1.15) | 2.41 (1.15) | 1.89 (1.06) ↓ | 2.41 (1.16) |
| No of relatives | 1.73 (0.84) ↓↓ | 2.33 (1.09) ↑ | 3.32 (0.78) ↑↑ | 2.88 (0.88) ↑ | 1.97 (1.00) ↓ | 3.45 (0.67) ↑↑ | 1.77 (1.03) ↓↓ | 2.46 (1.12) |
| Nor of people known through work or school | 2.04 (0.73) | 1.85 (0.78) ↓ | 2.74 (0.59) ↑↑ | 2.22 (0.75) | 2.65 (0.69) ↑↑ | 2.20 (0.82) | 1.72 (0.78) ↓ | 2.21 (0.81) |
| No of people known through community involvement | 2.41 (0.67) | 1.23 (0.48) ↓↓ | 3.69 (0.56) ↑↑ | 2.36 (0.92) | 3.69 (0.61) ↑↑ | 2.65 (0.92) | 1.72 (0.88) ↓↓ | 2.52 (1.11) |
| No of people known through other activities | 2.21 (1.02) | 1.63 (0.88) ↓↓ | 3.30 (1.13) ↑↑ | 2.09 (1.07) | 3.02 (1.34) ↑↑ | 2.41 (1.18) | 1.62 (0.89) ↓↓ | 2.33 (1.22) |
| Frequency of contact with children | 5.31 (0.96) | 5.28 (1.06) | 5.47 (0.86) | 5.55 (0.86) ↑ | 5.11 (1.15) | 5.14 (1.04) | 4.60 (1.44) ↓↓ | 5.25 (1.06) |
| Frequency of contact with siblings | 4.04 (1.33) ↓ | 4.81 (1.02) ↑ | 5.25 (0.88) ↑↑ | 5.59 (0.49) ↑↑ | 3.67 (1.37) ↓↓ | 4.31 (1.11) | 2.12 (0.56) ↓↓ | 4.43 (1.38) |
| Frequency of contact with close friends | 5.65 (0.69) | 5.03 (1.13)↓ | 5.75 (0.60) ↑ | 5.54 (0.70) | 5.60 (0.83) | 5.28 (1.01) | 4.82 (1.50) ↓↓ | 5.41 (0.96) |
| Frequency of contact with neighbours | 4.69 (1.49) | 3.82 (1.66) ↓ | 5.15 (1.22) ↑ | 4.34 (1.62) | 4.62 (1.57) | 4.15 (1.68) | 3.76 (1.73) | 4.40 (1.63) |
| Frequency of contact with relatives | 4.41 (1.37) | 4.28 (1.34) | 5.19 (0.94) ↑↑ | 5.54 (0.51) ↑↑ | 4.05 (1.48) | 3.74 (1.05) ↓ | 2.94 (1.49) ↓↓ | 4.42 (1.40) |
| Social participation | 2.75 (0.92) ↑ | 1.33 (0.52) ↓↓ | 3.36 (0.86) ↑↑ | 2.41 (0.92) | 3.00 (0.99) ↑ | 2.58 (1.01) | 1.52 (0.74) ↓↓ | 2.45 (1.10) |
Note: ↑ and italics indicates a variable that is 0.25 SD above the mean, ↑↑ and bold 0.5 SD above the mean, ↓ and italics 0.25 SD below the mean, ↓↓ and bold 0.5 SD below the mean.
CLSA, Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.