Social capital in Mexico moderates the relationship of uncertainty and cooperation during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic

Change of human flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: Results from population-based U-CORONA study

Longitudinal change in flourishing during the pandemic of COVID-19 would provide new insight to reveal determinants of well-being. We aimed to describe changes in flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan and to examine the association of sex, age, education, and income with changes in flourishing. Utsunomiya COVID-19 seROprevalence Neighborhood Association (U-CORONA) study conducted in October 2020 and November 2021 was used (n = 419 in 2020 and n = 478 in 2021, and n = 327 for both waves). Flourishing was assessed using a 12-item multidimensional flourishing scale including six domains. Change of flourishing was categorized into decreased, unchanged, and increased. Multinomial logistic regression was applied to longitudinal data to estimate the relative risk ratio of increase and decrease in flourishing scores. Cross-sectional analysis showed that the mean score of flourishing was approximately seven in both waves, with no sex differences, but older adults had higher scores than young-aged adults. We found that men were twice as likely to lose their flourishing scores as women and lower levels of education were associated with 2-3 times declining flourishing scores than higher levels of education. Age and income were not significantly associated with the change of flourishing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, flourishing declined, and men and lower-educated people were more vulnerable. In prolonged difficult situations, support for men and less educated people may contribute to the prevention of declining well-being in Japan.

Socioeconomic Status and Quality of Life: An Assessment of the Mediating Effect of Social Capital

Socioeconomic status has been found to be a significant predictor of quality of life, with individuals of higher socioeconomic status reporting better quality of life. However, social capital may play a mediating role in this relationship. This study highlights the need for further research on the role of social capital in the relationship between socioeconomic status and quality of life, and the potential implications for policies aimed at reducing health and social inequalities. The study used a cross-sectional design with 1792 adults 18 and older from Wave 2 of the Study of Global AGEing and Adult Health. We employed a mediation analysis to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status, social capital, and quality of life. The results showed that socioeconomic status was a strong predictor of social capital and quality of life. In addition to this, there was a positive correlation between social capital and quality of life. We found social capital to be a significant mechanism by which adults' socioeconomic status influences their quality of life. It is crucial to invest in social infrastructure, encourage social cohesiveness, and decrease social inequities due to the significance of social capital in the connection between socioeconomic status and quality of life. To improve quality of life, policymakers and practitioners might concentrate on creating and fostering social networks and connections in communities, encouraging social capital among people, and ensuring fair access to resources and opportunities.

Social capital in a time of uncertainty: A case study of COVID-19 in Maharashtra state, India

A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was reported in India in late January 2020, less than 50 days after the first case was reported in Wuhan, China. Knowingly or unknowingly, almost all aspects of humankind around the world are affected, including physical, mental, and financial aspects. We set out to investigate how local communities take preventive action and have a meaningful role in dealing with these impacts of COVID-19. This community role is absolutely based on trust, regular communication, and social networking among community members. We collected data from India to determine whether the community-level response to COVID-19 during the peak phase of the pandemic (January 1st to February 1st, 2021) depended on the level of social capital. The source of information on COVID-19 is one of the significant issues during the pandemic. People prefer to depend on and trust family members, who represent the only trustworthy source of information irrespective of where they bring the information. In general, regular participation in local activities plays a major role in preventing COVID-19 at the local level.

Stigmatization towards healthcare personnel during the first COVID-19 wave in Central and Northern Mexico

The evidence all over the world shows an alarming increase in the stigmatization of health personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to explore possible psychological factors that help explain the disposition to stigmatize health personnel in the central and northern regions of Mexico. Two studies explore possible psychological factors to explain the disposition to stigmatize healthcare personnel (HP) in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic. In study one, 520 participants responded to three instruments that measure the disposition to stigmatize, the perceived contagion risk, and the positive beliefs towards HP. Results showed a generalized low disposition to stigmatization, where only a small percentage obtained high scores. A regression analysis identified that stigmatization towards HP can derive mainly from the perception of risk of contagion, although positive beliefs of HP decrease this disposition. The second study extends this finding by analyzing responses of 286 participants to seven instruments measuring factors hypothesized as predictors towards stigmatization: uncertainty generated by the pandemic, selfish strategies to face off the pandemic, social capital, trust in institutions, perceived vulnerability of contagion, perceived risk of contagion, and positive beliefs towards HP. A path analysis reveals that the main predictor of stigmatization is the perceived risk of contagion, increased by the strategy of selfishness, and the uncertainty generated by the pandemic. These results are discussed emphasizing the importance of cooperation and community ties to prevent the stigmatization of HP in the context of sanitary emergencies generated by contagious diseases.