ABSTRACT. Changes in the networks and the health of a general sample of 2,903 Dutch older adults were studied, based on three observations with a total time span of four years. The better the functional capacity and the self-rated health of the old people, the larger their network was, the less instrumental support was received from their network members, and the more instrumental support was given. The positive effect of poor health on instrumental support received can be considered as an effect of the mobilization of helpers. The negative effect of poor health on instrumental support given, reflects the fact that people in poor health have difficulty in actively maintaining their relationships. Both tendencies affect the network size in different directions, which might be a reason for the relatively small effect of health on the network size. An extended version is published as: van Tilburg, T.G. (1998). Changes over time in the personal networks and health of older adults. In D.J.H. Deeg, A.T.F. Beekman, D.M.W. Kriegsman, & M. Westendorp-de Serière (Eds.), Autonomy and well-being in the aging population II: Report from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam 1992-1996 (pp. 123-140).
