The relationships among an individual's social life, psychological functioning, and physical health are complex and multi-directional. Nonetheless, the aim of this dissertation was to identify relationships among specific psychosocial variables associated with systemic inflammatory processes that contribute to overall health and well-being. Data is from a nationally representative sample of 3005 adults age 57-85 from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) in which participants were asked detailed questions about their social relationships, psychological, and physical health. The first two chapters demonstrate that chronic, low-level inflammation (evidenced by C-Reactive protein levels) predicts low levels of sexual motivation, and that this inflammation could partly explain the gender difference in sexual motivation (demonstrated in Chapter 1). The second two chapters present correlational evidence in support of the hypothesis that low levels of growth hormone, associated with sleep disruptions, may be a significant mechanistic link among depression, psychosocial isolation, and illnesses with an inflammatory component, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
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