Social capital and self-rated health: a contextual analysis.
I Kawachi,
B P Kennedy and
R Glass
Department of Health and Social Behavior, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass. 02115, USA. ichiro.kawachi@channing.harvard.edu
OBJECTIVES: Social capital consists of features of social organization--suchas trust between citizens, norms of reciprocity, and group membership--thatfacilitate collective action. This article reports a contextualanalysis of social capital and individual self-rated health,with adjustment for individual household income, health behaviors,and other covariates. METHODS: Self-rated health ("Is your overallhealth excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?") was assessedamong 167,259 individuals residing in 39 US states, sampledby the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Social capitalindicators, aggregated to the state level, were obtained fromthe General Social Surveys. RESULTS: Individual-level factors(e.g., low income, low education, smoking) were strongly associatedwith self-rated poor health. However, even after adjustmentfor these proximal variables, a contextual effect of low socialcapital on risk of self-rated poor health was found. For example,the odds ratio for fair or poor health associated with livingin areas with the lowest levels of social trust was 1.41 (95%confidence interval = 1.33, 1.50) compared with living in high-truststates. CONCLUSIONS: These results extend previous findingson the health advantages stemming from social capital.
This article has been cited by other articles:
N. D. Woods, D. M. Konisky, and A. OM. Bowman You Get What You Pay For: Environmental Policy and Public Health
Publius,
December 1, 2009;
39(1):
95 - 116.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
Z. Heritage and M. Dooris Community participation and empowerment in Healthy Cities
Health Promot. Int.,
November 1, 2009;
24(suppl_1):
i45 - i55.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A Vaananen, A Kouvonen, M Kivimaki, T Oksanen, M Elovainio, M Virtanen, J Pentti, and J Vahtera Workplace social capital and co-occurrence of lifestyle risk factors: the Finnish Public Sector Study
Occup. Environ. Med.,
July 1, 2009;
66(7):
432 - 437.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
K. Ladin, N. Daniels, and I. Kawachi Exploring the Relationship Between Absolute and Relative Position and Late-Life Depression: Evidence From 10 European Countries
Gerontologist,
June 9, 2009;
(2009)
gnp065v1.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Cosner Building Organizational Capacity Through Trust
Educational Administration Quarterly,
April 1, 2009;
45(2):
248 - 291.
[Abstract][PDF]
X. Chen, B. Stanton, J. Gong, X. Fang, and X. Li Personal Social Capital Scale: an instrument for health and behavioral research
Health Educ. Res.,
April 1, 2009;
24(2):
306 - 317.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
C. van Hooijdonk, M. Droomers, I. M Deerenberg, J. P Mackenbach, and A. E Kunst The diversity in associations between community social capital and health per health outcome, population group and location studied
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
December 1, 2008;
37(6):
1384 - 1392.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
D. Kim Blues from the Neighborhood? Neighborhood Characteristics and Depression
Epidemiol. Rev.,
November 1, 2008;
30(1):
101 - 117.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
R. Boynton-Jarrett, L. M. Ryan, L. F. Berkman, and R. J. Wright Cumulative Violence Exposure and Self-Rated Health: Longitudinal Study of Adolescents in the United States
Pediatrics,
November 1, 2008;
122(5):
961 - 970.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
L. Kemp, R. Chavez, B. Harris-Roxas, and N. Burton What's in the box? Issues in evaluating interventions to develop strong and open communities
Community Dev. J.,
October 1, 2008;
43(4):
459 - 469.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
K. Dillenburger, M. Fargas, and R. Akhonzada Long-Term Effects of Political Violence: Narrative Inquiry Across a 20-Year Period
Qual Health Res,
October 1, 2008;
18(10):
1312 - 1322.
[Abstract][PDF]
G. C. Gee A Multilevel Analysis of the Relationship Between Institutional and Individual Racial Discrimination and Health Status
Am J Public Health,
September 1, 2008;
98(Supplement_1):
S48 - S56.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
C. S. Camlin and R. C. Snow Parental Investment, Club Membership, and Youth Sexual Risk Behavior in Cape Town
Health Educ Behav,
August 1, 2008;
35(4):
522 - 540.
[Abstract][PDF]
M. Lempa, R. M. Goodman, J. Rice, and A. B. Becker Development of Scales Measuring the Capacity of Community-Based Initiatives
Health Educ Behav,
June 1, 2008;
35(3):
298 - 315.
[Abstract][PDF]
A. Kouvonen, T. Oksanen, J. Vahtera, M. Stafford, R. Wilkinson, J. Schneider, A. Vaananen, M. Virtanen, S. J. Cox, J. Pentti, et al. Low Workplace Social Capital as a Predictor of Depression: The Finnish Public Sector Study
Am. J. Epidemiol.,
May 15, 2008;
167(10):
1143 - 1151.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
M. Lindstrom Invited Commentary: Social Capital, Social Contexts, and Depression
Am. J. Epidemiol.,
May 15, 2008;
167(10):
1152 - 1154.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
T Sugiyama, E Leslie, B Giles-Corti, and N Owen Associations of neighbourhood greenness with physical and mental health: do walking, social coherence and local social interaction explain the relationships?
J Epidemiol Community Health,
May 1, 2008;
62(5):
e9 - e9.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
M. Perry, R. L. Williams, N. Wallerstein, and H. Waitzkin Social Capital and Health Care Experiences Among Low-Income Individuals
Am J Public Health,
February 1, 2008;
98(2):
330 - 336.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
M. Mohseni and M. Lindstrom Social capital, political trust and self rated-health: A population-based study in southern Sweden
Scand J Public Health,
January 1, 2008;
36(1):
28 - 34.
[Abstract][PDF]
M. Westin and R. Westerling Social capital and inequality in health between single and couple parents in Sweden
Scand J Public Health,
December 1, 2007;
35(6):
609 - 617.
[Abstract][PDF]
C. Agyemang, C. v. Hooijdonk, W. Wendel-Vos, E. Lindeman, K. Stronks, and M. Droomers The association of neighbourhood psychosocial stressors and self-rated health in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
J Epidemiol Community Health,
December 1, 2007;
61(12):
1042 - 1049.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A. B. Dailey, S. V. Kasl, T. R. Holford, L. Calvocoressi, and B. A. Jones Neighborhood-Level Socioeconomic Predictors of Nonadherence to Mammography Screening Guidelines
Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev.,
November 1, 2007;
16(11):
2293 - 2303.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Wall Globalization makes new demands on public health research
Scand J Public Health,
October 1, 2007;
35(5):
449 - 453.
[PDF]
M. Lindstrom and E. Janzon Social capital, institutional (vertical) trust and smoking: A study of daily smoking and smoking cessation among ever smokers
Scand J Public Health,
October 1, 2007;
35(5):
460 - 467.
[Abstract][PDF]
S. Zackrisson, M. Lindstrom, M. Moghaddassi, I. Andersson, and L. Janzon Social predictors of non-attendance in an urban mammographic screening programme: A multilevel analysis
Scand J Public Health,
October 1, 2007;
35(5):
548 - 554.
[Abstract][PDF]
S. A. Fisher-Owens, S. A. Gansky, L. J. Platt, J. A. Weintraub, M.-J Soobader, M. D. Bramlett, and P. W. Newacheck Influences on Children's Oral Health: A Conceptual Model
Pediatrics,
September 1, 2007;
120(3):
e510 - e520.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Ferlander The Importance of Different Forms of Social Capital for Health
Acta Sociologica,
June 1, 2007;
50(2):
115 - 128.
[Abstract][PDF]
A. Molarius, K. Berglund, C. Eriksson, M. Lambe, E. Nordstrom, H. G. Eriksson, and I. Feldman Socioeconomic conditions, lifestyle factors, and self-rated health among men and women in Sweden
Eur J Public Health,
April 1, 2007;
17(2):
125 - 133.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
D. Fone, F. Dunstan, K. Lloyd, G. Williams, J. Watkins, and S. Palmer Does social cohesion modify the association between area income deprivation and mental health? A multilevel analysis
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
April 1, 2007;
36(2):
338 - 345.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A. T. Ha and S. A. Gansky HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices Used in U.S. Dental Schools: Factors Related to Readability or Lack Thereof
J Dent Educ.,
March 1, 2007;
71(3):
419 - 429.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A. Singh-Manoux, A. Gueguen, P. Martikainen, J. Ferrie, M. Marmot, and M. Shipley Self-Rated Health and Mortality: Short- and Long-Term Associations in the Whitehall II Study
Psychosom Med,
February 1, 2007;
69(2):
138 - 143.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
P. Dolan and T. Peasgood Estimating the Economic and Social Costs of the Fear of Crime
Br. J. Criminol.,
January 1, 2007;
47(1):
121 - 132.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
L. N. Borrell and N. D. Crawford Race, Ethnicity, and Self-Rated Health Status in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey
Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences,
August 1, 2006;
28(3):
387 - 403.
[Abstract][PDF]
M. Lindstrom, M. Moghaddassi, and J. Merlo Individual and contextual determinants of self-reported poor psychological health: A population-based multilevel analysis in southern Sweden
Scand J Public Health,
August 1, 2006;
34(4):
397 - 405.
[Abstract][PDF]
T. Blakely, J. Atkinson, V. Ivory, S. Collings, J. Wilton, and P. Howden-Chapman No association of neighbourhood volunteerism with mortality in New Zealand: a national multilevel cohort study.
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
August 1, 2006;
35(4):
981 - 989.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
K. Viswanath, W. Randolph Steele, and J. R. Finnegan Jr Social Capital and Health: Civic Engagement, Community Size, and Recall of Health Messages
Am J Public Health,
August 1, 2006;
96(8):
1456 - 1461.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A. Bowling, J. Barber, R. Morris, and S. Ebrahim Do perceptions of neighbourhood environment influence health? Baseline findings from a British survey of aging.
J Epidemiol Community Health,
June 1, 2006;
60(6):
476 - 483.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A. M Kavanagh, R. Bentley, G. Turrell, D. H Broom, and S V Subramanian Does gender modify associations between self rated health and the social and economic characteristics of local environments?
J Epidemiol Community Health,
June 1, 2006;
60(6):
490 - 495.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
F. J Zimmerman and J. F Bell Income inequality and physical and mental health: testing associations consistent with proposed causal pathways.
J Epidemiol Community Health,
June 1, 2006;
60(6):
513 - 521.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
O. Seippel Sport and Social Capital
Acta Sociologica,
June 1, 2006;
49(2):
169 - 183.
[Abstract][PDF]
J. Nilsson, A. K. M. M. Rana, and Z. N. Kabir Social Capital and Quality of Life in Old Age: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study in Rural Bangladesh
J Aging Health,
June 1, 2006;
18(3):
419 - 434.
[Abstract][PDF]
A. M Kavanagh, G. Turrell, and S V Subramanian Does area-based social capital matter for the health of Australians? A multilevel analysis of self-rated health in Tasmania
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
June 1, 2006;
35(3):
607 - 613.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
M. T. Hyyppa, J. Maki, O. Impivaara, and A. Aromaa Leisure participation predicts survival: a population-based study in Finland
Health Promot. Int.,
March 1, 2006;
21(1):
5 - 12.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
M. Lindstrom Social capital and lack of belief in the possibility to influence one's own health: A population-based study
Scand J Public Health,
January 1, 2006;
34(1):
69 - 75.
[Abstract][PDF]
J. M. Mellor and J. Milyo State social capital and individual health status.
Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law,
December 1, 2005;
30(6):
1101 - 1130.
[Abstract][PDF]
M. LINDSTROM SOCIAL CAPITAL, THE MINIATURIZATION OF COMMUNITY AND HIGH ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION: A POPULATION-BASED STUDY
Alcohol Alcohol.,
November 1, 2005;
40(6):
556 - 562.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Moore, A. Shiell, P. Hawe, and V. A. Haines The Privileging of Communitarian Ideas: Citation Practices and the Translation of Social Capital Into Public Health Research
Am J Public Health,
August 1, 2005;
95(8):
1330 - 1337.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
Y. W. Cheung, B.-H. Mok, and T.-S. Cheung Personal Empowerment and Life Satisfaction among Self-Help Group Members in Hong Kong
Small Group Research,
June 1, 2005;
36(3):
354 - 377.
[Abstract][PDF]
R. J. Pan, D. Littlefield, S. G. Valladolid, P. J. Tapping, and D. C. West Building Healthier Communities for Children and Families: Applying Asset-Based Community Development to Community Pediatrics
Pediatrics,
April 1, 2005;
115(4/S1):
1185 - 1187.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Cummins, M. Stafford, S. Macintyre, M. Marmot, and A. Ellaway Neighbourhood environment and its association with self rated health: evidence from Scotland and England
J Epidemiol Community Health,
March 1, 2005;
59(3):
207 - 213.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
R. A. Desai, D. J. Dausey, and R. A. Rosenheck Mental Health Service Delivery and Suicide Risk: The Role of Individual Patient and Facility Factors
Am J Psychiatry,
February 1, 2005;
162(2):
311 - 318.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
M Lindstrom Psychosocial work conditions, social capital, and daily smoking: a population based study
Tob. Control,
September 1, 2004;
13(3):
289 - 295.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
J. M Patterson, L. E Eberly, Y. Ding, and M. Hargreaves Associations of smoking prevalence with individual and area level social cohesion
J Epidemiol Community Health,
August 1, 2004;
58(8):
692 - 697.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Szreter and M. Woolcock Health by association? Social capital, social theory, and the political economy of public health
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
August 1, 2004;
33(4):
650 - 667.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
I. Kawachi, D. Kim, A. Coutts, and S. Subramanian Commentary: Reconciling the three accounts of social capital
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
August 1, 2004;
33(4):
682 - 690.
[Full Text][PDF]
A. V. Diez Roux The Study of Group-Level Factors in Epidemiology: Rethinking Variables, Study Designs, and Analytical Approaches
Epidemiol. Rev.,
July 1, 2004;
26(1):
104 - 111.
[Full Text][PDF]
M. T. Hyyppa and J. Maki Social participation and health in a community rich in stock of social capital
Health Educ. Res.,
December 1, 2003;
18(6):
770 - 779.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
L. K. Brennan, E. A. Baker, D. Haire-Joshu, and R. C. Brownson Linking Perceptions of the Community to Behavior: Are Protective Social Factors Associated with Physical Activity?
Health Educ Behav,
December 1, 2003;
30(6):
740 - 755.
[Abstract][PDF]
M. Lindstrom, M. Moghaddassi, K. Bolin, B. Lindgren, and J. Merlo Social participation, social capital and daily tobacco smoking: a population-based multilevel analysis in Malmo, Sweden
Scand J Public Health,
December 1, 2003;
31(6):
444 - 450.
[Abstract][PDF]
H Thomson, A Kearns, and M Petticrew Assessing the health impact of local amenities: a qualitative study of contrasting experiences of local swimming pool and leisure provision in two areas of Glasgow
J Epidemiol Community Health,
September 1, 2003;
57(9):
663 - 667.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
K. M. Leyden Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods
Am J Public Health,
September 1, 2003;
93(9):
1546 - 1551.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
L. Shi, J. Macinko, B. Starfield, J. Xu, and R. Politzer Primary Care, Income Inequality, and Stroke Mortality in the United States: A Longitudinal Analysis, 1985-1995
Stroke,
August 1, 2003;
34(8):
1958 - 1964.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Noh and V. Kaspar Perceived Discrimination and Depression: Moderating Effects of Coping, Acculturation, and Ethnic Support
Am J Public Health,
February 1, 2003;
93(2):
232 - 238.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A. Haveman-Nies, L. C.P.G.M. de Groot, and W. A. van Staveren Relation of Dietary Quality, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits to 10-Year Changes in Health Status in Older Europeans in the SENECA Study
Am J Public Health,
February 1, 2003;
93(2):
318 - 323.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
D R Holtgrave and R A Crosby Social capital, poverty, and income inequality as predictors of gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia and AIDS case rates in the United States
Sex Transm Inf,
February 1, 2003;
79(1):
62 - 64.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
S. Aral, S. Burns, and C. Shearing Health and the Governance of Security: A Tale of Two Systems
J. Law Med. Ethics,
December 1, 2002;
30(4):
632 - 643.
[PDF]
S A Reijneveld Neighbourhood socioeconomic context and self reported health and smoking: a secondary analysis of data on seven cities
J Epidemiol Community Health,
December 1, 2002;
56(12):
935 - 942.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
F Baum Health and greening the city; setting for health promotion
J Epidemiol Community Health,
December 1, 2002;
56(12):
897 - 898.
[Full Text][PDF]
C C Kelleher How exactly do politics play a part in determining health? New perspectives on an age old issue
J Epidemiol Community Health,
October 1, 2002;
56(10):
726 - 726.
[Full Text][PDF]
M-J Yang, M-S Yang, C-H Shih, and I Kawachi Development and validation of an instrument to measure perceived neighbourhood quality in Taiwan
J Epidemiol Community Health,
July 1, 2002;
56(7):
492 - 496.
[Abstract][Full Text]
S Weich, G Lewis, and S P Jenkins Income inequality and self rated health in Britain
J Epidemiol Community Health,
June 1, 2002;
56(6):
436 - 441.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
D. C. Brody and N. P. Lovrich Social Capital and Protecting the Rights of the Accused in the American States: An Investigation of the Dark Side of Social Capital
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice,
May 1, 2002;
18(2):
115 - 131.
[Abstract][PDF]
R. Wilkinson and S. Bezruchka Income inequality and population health
BMJ,
April 20, 2002;
324(7343):
978 - 978.
[Full Text]
G. C. Gee A Multilevel Analysis of the Relationship Between Institutional and Individual Racial Discrimination and Health Status
Am J Public Health,
April 1, 2002;
92(4):
615 - 623.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
D. M. Petersen The Potential of Social Capital Measures in the Evaluation of Comprehensive Community-Based Health Initiatives
American Journal of Evaluation,
March 1, 2002;
23(1):
55 - 64.
[Abstract][PDF]
C. Muntaner and J. Lynch Social capital, class gender and race conflict, and population health: an essay review of Bowling Alone's implications for social epidemiology: Bowling alone. The collapse and revival of American community.RD Putnam. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000, pp.544, US$26. ISBN: 0 684 83283 6.
Int. J. Epidemiol.,
February 1, 2002;
31(1):
261 - 267.
[Full Text][PDF]
P Goldberg, A Gueguen, A Schmaus, J-P Nakache, and M Goldberg Longitudinal study of associations between perceived health status and self reported diseases in the French Gazel cohort
J Epidemiol Community Health,
April 1, 2001;
55(4):
233 - 238.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
A C Kalff, M Kroes, J S H Vles, J G M Hendriksen, F J M Feron, J Steyaert, T M C B van Zeben, J Jolles, and J van Os Neighbourhood level and individual level SES effects on child problem behaviour: a multilevel analysis
J Epidemiol Community Health,
April 1, 2001;
55(4):
246 - 250.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
B. K. Rimer, K. Glanz, and G. Rasband Searching for Evidence about Health Education and Health Behavior Interventions
Health Educ Behav,
April 1, 2001;
28(2):
231 - 248.
[Abstract][PDF]
T. Harris Recent developments in understanding the psychosocial aspects of depression
Br. Med. Bull.,
March 1, 2001;
57(1):
17 - 32.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
M. T. Hyyppa and J. Maki Why do Swedish-speaking Finns have longer active life? An area for social capital research
Health Promot. Int.,
March 1, 2001;
16(1):
55 - 64.
[Abstract][Full Text][PDF]
J. Denner, D. Kirby, K. Coyle, and C. Brindis The Protective Role of Social Capital and Cultural Norms in Latino Communities: A Study of Adolescent Births
Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences,
February 1, 2001;
23(1):
3 - 21.
[Abstract][PDF]