Social roles and role importance in later life: a longitudinal analysis of stability and change

Older adults hold various social roles that are assumed to change over time due to life transitions. The (relative) importance assigned to these roles is proposed as a distinct and relevant component of later-life social functioning, yet longitudinal research is lacking. This exploratory study examined the stability and change in the (relative) importance of various social roles, as well as potential predictors of individual differences in change. It used three waves (2019, 2020, 2023) of the Health, Aging, and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study and comprised 3,935 older adults (mean age 66.9 years, 54% female) who rated the importance of nine social roles across the three waves, along with baseline questions on demographics, social support and personality. Latent growth curve models showed that, over time, older adults had fewer roles, fewer important roles and rated their roles as less important, although effects were generally small. While family roles remained consistently highly valued, the relative importance of friend roles increased, whereas the importance of care-giving and work-related roles declined. Generally, individuals with characteristics facilitating role accumulation and maintenance (i.e. supportive network, good health and higher levels of extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness) identified more (important) roles. No predictors explained individual differences in the change in role importance over time. These findings provide a comprehensive view of the stability and slight change in the personal centrality of social roles early in older adulthood, offering a foundation for future confirmatory research on the impact of social roles on later-life social functioning and wellbeing.