Conference presentation abstract:
In humans, the presence of interdependent, cooperative relationships signal safety and access to energetic resources. Social cues are therefore an important input for homeostatic systems, such as fatigue and pain, that protect the body from harm and govern the use of bioenergetic resources. Experimental research suggests that social support reduces perceptions of pain and fatigue, potentially via less cautious protective and energetic strategies in the presence supportive social relationships. The current study is the first to investigate these effects in a large, observational dataset. We used responses to the 21-country European Social Survey 7 to investigate the effects of poverty, loneliness, and their interaction on a pain, fatigue, and low energy symptom cluster (henceforth, symptom cluster). Results revealed significant main effects of loneliness and income, such that lonely individuals score higher on the symptom cluster, and that as income decile decreases, scores on the symptom cluster increase. We also found a significant loneliness by income interaction; the effect of loneliness on the symptom cluster was stronger amongst those on lower incomes. We discuss potential mechanisms linking perceived isolation and low social capital to the homeostatic processes that influence protective and energetic strategies and, ultimately, health outcomes.
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