Social support includes instrumental (e.g., help with tasks), informational (e.g., advice), and emotional (e.g., a sense that one is loved, cared for, and listened to) support, with most studies focusing on emotional support. Social support has long been highlighted in research on the health benefits of social ties (see review by Taylor & Repetti 1997). As Figure 1 suggests, social support may have indirect effects on health habits through enhanced mental health (Uchino 2004), by reducing the impact of stress (Cohen et al. 2004), or by fostering symbolic meanings (Call & Mortimer 2001, Crosnoe 2006). Supportive social ties can also trigger beneficial physiological sequelae (e.g., reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones) (Uchino 2004), thus minimizing unpleasant arousal that might be conducive to risky behavior. Yet the most important sources of social support, the amount of support in any particular relationship, and the impact of support on health habits vary over the life course.
