Measuring Social Capital Investment: Scale Development and Examination of Links to Social Capital and Perceived Stress

Social integration, physical and mental health and subjective well-being in the floating population-a moderated mediation analysis

Background

Individuals of domestic migrant populations in China (specifically, migration that is economically driven) often face difficulties in social integration. They are suffering from discrimination and unfair treatment in work and life, which do harm to their physical/mental health and Subjective Well-Being (SWB).

Methods

The current study utilized a stratified sampling survey in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, in October and November 2022. Six hundred and eleven useful self-reported questionnaires were collected. Questionnaires include questions about social integration, social capital, physical/mental health, and SWB; Bootstrapping method was used to test the mediating effect of physical health and mental health. Multiple hierarchical regression was used to test the moderating effect of social capital.

Results

Social integration had positive impact on the SWB (r = 0.523, p < 0.01). Bootstrap analysis showed that physical health and mental health partially mediated the correlation between social integration and SWB of Floating Population with a mediation effect of 0.149 and 0.192. Social capital can positively moderate the relationship between two pair of variables: social integration and SWB (β = 0.152, t = 4.42, p < 0.001), physical health and SWB (β = 0.148, t = 4.39, p < 0.01). However, social capital does not play a significant moderating role in the association between the effect of mental health on SWB (β = 0.032, t = 0.973, p > 0.05).

Conclusion

This study proved a significant correlation between social integration and SWB of Floating Population, with physical/mental health playing a mediating role. Enhancing the social integration of floating population and keeping healthy physically and mentally are key to improving their SWB.

A societal adaptation model as a novel approach toward the recovery of people with schizophrenia

Introduction: People with severe mental disorders strain those involved, including families, societies, entire communities, and the government, due to decreased productivity. Understanding the roles to be played in caring for such people necessitates a societal adaptation process. Good adaptations boost societal resilience by caring for severe mental disorder sufferers. Therefore, this study aimed to create a societal adaptation model that would increase societal resilience in the care of people with schizophrenia. Design and Methods: An observational analytic approach was applied with 205 society members living in the working area of the Community Integrated Health Center in Malang, East Java, Indonesia. Furthermore, several questionnaires were employed and analyzed using Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: According to the results, social adaptation was a significant indicator of societal adaptation. It was discovered that coping strategies influenced adaptation (p=0.007), society problem appraisal influenced coping strategies (p=0.000), and social support (p=0.005), while societal adaptation influenced societal resilience (p=0.022). The novelty of this study is that the societal adaptation model increases societal resilience in caring for people with schizophrenia, leading to a more adaptive community by increasing social capital. Conclusions: In conclusion, the adaptation model improves societal resilience by increasing social capital and stigma prevention, thereby promoting participation in the sufferers’ recovery process.

Career capital, career success, and perceived employability: evidence from medical billing companies in the post-COVID world

BACKGROUND

This paper focuses on the concept of career construction based on the theory of conservation of resources to understand the overall effect of career capital on career success from both a subjective and objective manner through the mediating effect of perceived employability.

OBJECTIVE

This study attempts to explain how different integrated aspects of career capital, including human, social, and psychological (antecedents), influence both subjective career success and objective career success (outcome) through the mediating effect of perceived employability (mediator).

METHODS

Time-lagged data of 331 employees from the telehealth medical billing service companies based in Pakistan were analyzed through a structural equation modeling technique using SmartPLS software.

RESULTS

The main results confirmed that career capital positively affects perceived employability and career success while perceived employability positively mediates the relationship between career capital and career success.

CONCLUSION

This research responded to prior calls by explaining the positive mediating role of perceived employability (as a mediator) in explaining the positive influence of career capital on career success using different various dimensions of career capital and career success. This research included the contextual issues by testing the model in the telehealth sector of Pakistan. The findings suggested that context or occupation matters in the relationship between career capital and career success.

Serial Mediation Model of Social Capital Effects over Academic Stress in University Students

Background: Although several studies have shown that social capital and social support decreases academic stress (AS), there has been lack of atheoretical model to explain how this occurs. This study aims to verify a model that explains the effect of bonding social capital (BSC) over academic stress psychological symptoms (PsyS), considering the multiple sequential mediation of socio-emotional support (SES), self-efficacy (sEffic) and self-esteem (sEstee). Methods: In a transversal study, 150 undergraduate volunteer students were recruited using non-probabilistic purposive sampling. Data were collected using psychological questionnaires and were processed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results: Goodness of fit of the models (SRMR = 0.056, 0.057, <HI95) (dULS, dG < HI95), reliability and validity are adequate. The indirect effect of BSC over PsyS (β = −0.196; IC 95% [−0.297, −0.098]) is relevant and significant and is serial mediated by SES and sEffic. Conclusions: From a very precise conceptual definition, a model is generated, within which empirical evidence explains the relationship between BSC and PsyS, emphasizing the role of BSC in the development of personal resources to cope with AS. This can be applied to policies and public health programs that affect these variables.

Association between social support and pregnancy stress: a cross-sectional study of neighbors’ interactions

Background

Pregnancy is associated with substantial stressful experiences. There are controversies concerning the positive and negative roles of social support during pregnancy. This research aimed to study the association of social support with the pregnancy-related stress.

Methods

In the current cross-sectional research, 200 pregnant women were recruited through convenience sampling from two teaching hospitals affiliated with Babol University of Medical Sciences and a private obstetric clinic. The women completed two self-reported questionnaires during prenatal care appointments. The questionnaires included the Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ) and Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ).

Results

A significantly positive association was observed between the social support of neighbors and the total score of pregnancy stress (P<0.001), as well as the scores of its four subscales, namely medical problems (P<0.001), parenting (P=0.25), infant health stress (P=0.006), and pregnancy symptoms (P=0.001). Based on the linear regression models, the social support of neighbors was significantly related to the medical problem-associated stress in pregnant women (β = 0.147, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.62, p = 0.047), pregnancy symptom (β = 0.203, 95% CI: −0.01 to 0.327, p = 0.017), and fear of childbirth (β = 0.164, 95% CI: 0.05 to 0.38, p = 0.046). Furthermore, the neighbors’ social support (β = 0.172, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.32, p = 0.04) and the total score of social support (β = 0.155, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.304, p = 0.046) were significantly associated with the total score of pregnancy stress.

Conclusions

Neighbors’ support, as a component of social support, was found to be significantly related to pregnancy stress. This study recommends that healthcare providers consider the positive and negative impacts of social support during the pregnancy period.

An empirical investigation of firm performance through corporate governance and information technology investment with mediating role of corporate social responsibility: Evidence from Saudi Arabia telecommunication sector

This study intended to examine the effect of information technology (IT) investment and corporate governance mechanism on the performance of the Saudi telecommunication sector with mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR). A survey method was used to collect data from the targeted Saudi telecom firm. Results show that corporate governance practices, i.e., internal audit, internal audit committee, and internal board size, have a significant and positive relationship with firm performance. Furthermore, IT investment positively affects the performance of Saudi telecommunication firms. Moreover, CSR mediates the relationship among internal audit, internal audit committee, internal board size, IT investment, and firm performance. This study contributes to the body of knowledge regarding IT investment, corporate governance mechanism, corporate social responsibilities, and firm performance of telecommunication firms in emerging markets. Furthermore, this study will help the top management of the telecom firms to improve corporate governance and IT investment, which will be beneficial to enhance firm performance.

Urban–Rural Comparison of the Association between Unsupportive Relationships, Perceived Stress, Authentic Self-Presentation, and Loneliness among Young Adults in Taiwan

This study examined and compared how unsupportive relationships, perceived stress, and authentic self-presentation influence loneliness and what differences exist between these relationships across urban and rural young adults in Taiwan. In total, 356 young adults (188 urban and 168 rural) were investigated, and partial least squares structural equation modelling was used in this study. The results indicated that authentic self-presentation directly and negatively affects loneliness in the urban group, but only indirectly affects loneliness in the rural group through unsupportive relationships and perceived stress. Unsupportive relationships and perceived stress in both the urban and rural groups positively affect their loneliness. In addition, multiple group analysis revealed that significant differences only existed between the effects of authentic self-presentation on unsupportive relationships between urban and rural young adults.

The Emergence Process of Construction Project Resilience: A Social Network Analysis Approach

For construction projects, resilience is the process of resisting and recovering from adversity. With the global economic and social environment constantly changing, improving the resilience of construction projects has become a research hotspot in the field of project management. On the basis of social capital theory, this study constructs a construction project organization resilience evaluation system from two dimensions of bonding and bridging social capitals. Then, a new theoretical framework is proposed: the network dynamic evaluation model of project resilience based on the resource conservation strategy. Using survey data of 247 construction engineering practitioners, this study considers the emergence of organization resilience in the three phases of adversity. The results reveal that when the construction project is hit by adversity, the investment capital will increase but decrease in the recovery phase. Protective capital demonstrates the opposite. However, both types of capital finally reach a higher level than before the adversity, thus forming an emergence curve of project resilience. This study helps to understand the emergence process of the construction project resilience, provides a feasible method to calculate the resilience and social capital of construction projects in different phases of disasters, and improves the risk response ability of construction projects.

Happiness and Moral Courage Among Iranian Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Workplace Social Capital

Background

COVID-19 has become a major global health problem, and healthcare professionals are facing lot of pressure and stress. Accumulated resources and energy obtained via interpersonal relationships is called social capital, which can reduce the negative effects of pressure and stress related to the workplace by impacting happiness and moral courage. This study explored the effect of workplace social capital on moral courage and happiness in nurses working in the COVID-19 wards.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, using a random sampling method, 169 nurses from three hospitals in East Mazandaran province, Iran, participated who worked in COVID-19 wards. The Onyx and Bullen Social Capital Questionnaire, the Sekerka's Moral Courage Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Inventory were used in this study. Descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analyses, and stepwise multiple regression were performed for data analysis.

Results

The mean age of nurses was 31.38 ± 6.82 years. Socio-demographic factors such as age, gender, educational level, and employment status were significant predictors of workplace social capital. Social capital was positively correlated with moral courage (r = 0.29, p < 0.01) and happiness (r = 0.32, p < 0.01). In addition, social capital explained 6.8 and 8.6% variance in predicting moral courage and happiness, respectively.

Conclusions

Workplace social capital is a vital organizational phenomenon affecting nurses' moral courage and happiness, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, hospitals should be aware of the importance of social capital; they should ensure that all the practices and policies are in place to develop and increase it.

Effects of Multifaceted Determinants on Individual Stress: The Mediating Role of Social Capital

Stress substantially results in various negative health outcomes. While there is a nexus between social capital and individual stress, previous studies have primarily explored the direct relationship between them. Social capital may potentially have an indirect effect on perceived stress via social networking pathways that provide accessible resources. This study addresses this research gap by exploring the mediating effect of social capital for associations between personal-level features, personal-level behaviors, physical environments, and perceived stress. A household drop-off survey of 600 respondents was collected from two neighborhoods in Korea and analyzed by structural equation models. Results showed that social capital acted as a mediator on perceived stress level. The frequency of community center use had both direct and indirect impacts on stress level through social capital. Those who were satisfied with the cleanliness of the neighborhood had a higher level of social capital and a lower level of stress indirectly through social capital. Households with more children had a lower level of social capital, while persons who had chronic disease and were more extroverted, agreeable, and open to others enjoyed a higher level of social capital. The results provide policy implications on how community revitalization affects social capital and perceived stress.

Social support through religion and psychological well-being: COVID-19 and coping strategies in Indonesia

The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) originated in China at the end of 2019, the virus festered there for four months before spreading globally. Impacting the developed and developing world including Indonesia. It has transformed social, economic and political practices social life, everyday habits and government policies, with multi-dimensional consequences on human life. The present study endeavours to explore the relationship between religiosity, social capital, and psychological well-being of the general public, particularly in terms of coping with the pandemic. In addition to this, the study aims to highlight the importance of public awareness regarding social distancing, use of religion as a coping mechanism, and living a healthy lifestyle during pandemic. For knowing the perception of the masses, an online survey by using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out among coronavirus patients, the general public, social media activists, students, and professionals across Indonesia. The findings indicate that the pandemic has altered the lifestyle of the masses in different ways and that people have varied perceptions towards this virus regarding its spread and preventive measures. The study also reveals that, social capital (β = .418, p < .001), psychological well-being (β = .343, p < .001), and religious coping (β = .145, p <. 01) have a significant amount of the variance of coronavirus situational stress (F =  69.77, p < .001, R2 = 0.485). Lastly, the study suggests that, adopting preventative measures, standard operating procedures that are sustainable and healthy forms of coping with the pandemic will be equally as important as medical care in order to contain and eventually eradicate the virus.

Social capital and dietary patterns in three ethnic minority groups native to Yunnan Province, Southwest China

BACKGROUND

Few studies have focused on the influencing factors of dietary practices among ethnic minority groups in China, particularly from a social capital perspective.

METHODS

Between May and September 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among adults (n = 1,813) from three ethnic minority communities (A Chang, De Ang and Jing Po) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Dietary intakes during the past 12 months were measured with a 100-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and two forms of social capital (bonding and bridging) were measured using the validated Personal Social Capital Scale 16 (PSCS-16). Principal component factor analysis was used to derive dietary patterns from 20 food groups. Multivariate linear regressions were used to examine the associations between social capital and dietary patterns.

RESULTS

Two distinct dietary patterns were identified: the traditional and the modern. The traditional pattern was characterized by high consumptions of tubers, poultry, rice, fruits, vegetables and low consumptions of oil and salt, whereas the modern pattern was highly correlated with egg, nut, beverage, snack and oil consumptions. After adjusted for potential confounders, the modern pattern was positively associated with bonding capital (β = 0.066; 95%CI: 0.058, 0.075) and negatively associated with bridging capital (β = -0.017; 95%CI: -0.024, -0.010).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, an unhealthy dietary pattern was identified among the ethnic minority groups in Southwest China. The influences of people's social connections on dietary behaviors should be considered in designing and implementing nutrition intervention programs for the population.

Effect pathways of informal family separation on children's outcomes: Paternal labor migration and long-term educational attainment of left-behind children in rural China

Informal family separation due to parental labor migration is an increasingly common experience in the lives of children in many countries. This paper proposes a framework and method for analyzing "effect pathways" by which parental labor migration might affect children's outcomes. The framework incorporates home-environment and child-development mechanisms and is adapted from migration, sociology of education, and child development literatures. We test these pathways using data on father absence and long-term educational outcomes for girls and boys in China. We apply structural equation models with inverse probability of treatment weighting to data from a 15-year longitudinal survey of 2000 children. Significantly, fathers' migration has distinct implications for different effect pathways. It is associated most significantly with reduced human capital at home, which has the largest detrimental effect on children's educational attainment, among those studied. At the same time, father absence is associated with better family economic capital, which partially buffers the negative implications of father absence. Overall, father absence corresponds to a reduction of 0.342 years, on average, in children's educational attainment, but the reduction is larger for boys than for girls. For boys and girls, the reduced availability of literate adults in the household linked to father absence is an important effect pathway. For girls, this detrimental effect is partially offset by a positive income effect, but for boys, the offset effect is trivial.

Role of social capital and self-efficacy as determinants of stress in pregnancy

OBJECTIVES

The study investigated the role of social capital, self-efficacy, and depression as determinants of stress during pregnancy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 200 low-risk pregnant women with at least 5 years of education and ages 18 or more were enrolled in public obstetric clinics of Babol University of Medical Sciences. The participants completed four questionnaires including Social Capital, Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire (NuPDQ), Perceived Stress, and General Self-efficacy.

RESULTS

Women at late phase of pregnancy had lower mean scores of total social capital (61.5 ± 17.1 vs. 47.1 ± 18.1) and self-efficacy (60.1 ± 9.7 vs. 55.1 ± 15.2) compared to those at early pregnancy. Social capital was the negative independent variable associated with pregnancy-specific stress in the adjusted model (β = -0.418, P = 0.020). Both social capital (β = -0.563, P ≤ 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = -0.330, P ≤ 0.001) were negative independent variables associated with general stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that health professionals should note the benefits of social capital in stress management and encourage women in establishing stronger relations and neighborhood environments during pregnancy.

Social capital in agribusiness: an exploratory investigation from a supply chain perspective during the COVID-19 crisis

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has badly affected the global economy. The use of social capital as a resource to diversify agribusiness to get more customers and improve the agricultural supply chain is a considerable issue to explore. This study aims to develop a comprehensive measurement of social capital and examine its effect on the intention to diversify agribusiness. From a supply chain perspective, it uses theory of planned behavior (TPB) and resource-based view (RBV).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a mixed-methods approach. In-depth interviews, focus group discussions and surveys are used. Structural equation modeling on a sample of 465 respondents in Vietnam was employed to examine the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

An integrative measurement scale of social capital from an agricultural supply chain perspective is suggested. The study also shows significant causal relationships amongst social capital, motives, TPB's determinants and the intention to diversify agribusinesses in light of supply chain perspectives.

Originality/value

The study offers a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge in the literature on social capital, motives, TPB, RBV and supply chain perspectives. The study was executed in Vietnam, where most farmers are smallholders, family business owners or micro-scale entrepreneurs in agriculture.

Social Capital on Social Networking Sites: A Social Network Perspective

Although social capital has been researched from many approaches and attempts have been made to measure it online, the literature lacks an operational description that would allow its measurement criteria to be established from a social network perspective. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify in the literature what metrics researchers use to measure social capital on social networking sites from a social network perspective. Thus, this contribution offers a theoretical description of the key elements for measuring social capital in social networking sites, which may be useful in subsequent studies.

The role of workplace social capital on the relationship between perceived stress and professional identity among clinical nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak

AIM

Workplace social capital refers to relationship networks formed by individuals in an organization through long-term mutually beneficial interactions and cooperation with members. These relationship networks can create value and resources for organizations and individuals. This current study aimed to explore the potential impact of workplace social capital on the association between perceived stress and professional identity in clinical nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 308 Chinese clinical nurses filled out the Chinese Workplace Social Capital Scale, the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, and the Chinese Nurse's Professional Identity Scale. Descriptive analysis, independent samples t test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation analyses, and bootstrap method were performed to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Perceived stress was negatively correlated with professional identity (r = -0.455, p < .001). Workplace social capital was not found to moderate the relationship between perceived stress and professional identity (95% CI -0.03 to- 0.06, p = .47 > .05). Instead, it mediated that relationship (95% CI -0.61 to -0.19, p < .05), and its mediating effect was -0.37.

CONCLUSIONS

In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, workplace social capital among the investigated clinical nurses failed to buffer the negative impact of perceived stress on professional identity, but it did play a part in mediating perceived stress and professional identity. A healthy workplace should be provided to clinical nurses to improve their professional identity, while lowering perceived stress.

Social capital and perceived stress: The role of social context

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is twofold: to investigate how much variance in individual perceived stress is attributed to household and area levels, respectively, and to examine the association between social capital at the individual, household, and area levels and perceived stress, while adjusting for various cofounders at the individual, household, and area levels.

METHODS

This study used data from the 2010 Seoul Welfare Panel Study conducted by the Seoul Welfare Foundation. A total sample of 5881 individuals in 2820 households within 25 areas was used for multilevel analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that a relatively large proportion of variance in perceived stress was attributed to the household level (45.86%) in comparison with the area level (6.96%), which indicates that household or family context is more important in explaining variance in perceived stress than area. This study also found that some components of social capital were negatively associated with perceived stress, and the association between social capital and perceived stress varied depending on levels and types of social capital measures.

LIMITATIONS

This study is based on a cross-sectional design, and thus it is not clear about the temporal order between the relationship between social capital and perceived stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study showed that research on social capital and mental health can be advanced by systematically investigating the role of household social capital, not just geographical social capital.

A pathway analysis of exploring how HIV-related stigma affects social capital among people living with HIV/AIDS in China

HIV-related stigma is the most common and serious social problem which people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) have to face. However, the impact of HIV stigma on social capital is not yet clear. Therefore, this study aims to understand the relationship between HIV stigma and social capital, and explore the mechanism of how HIV stigma influences social capital among Chinese PLWHA on this basis. An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from Nov 2015 to Jan 2016 in Wuhan, China, using a self-reporting questionnaire. A total of 552 PLWHA participated, and 520 valid questionnaires were included. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that lower education level, lower monthly income, higher internalized stigma, and anticipated stigma were significantly associated with lower social capital. Results of path analysis showed that although perceived community stigma has no direct effect on social capital, but it can affect social capital through internalized stigma and anticipated stigma. In conclusion, increased HIV stigma and reduced social capital are frequent among PLWHA in China. Perceived community stigma may cause PLWHA to internalize stigma and anticipate stigmatizing experiences, resulting in the reduction of social capital. These findings suggest that perceived community stigma should become the target of stigma intervention strategy among Chinese PLWHA.

Social capital, migration stress, depression and sexual risk behaviors among rural-to-urban migrants in China: a moderated mediation modeling analysis

Background: Few studies have examined the complex relationship of migration stress and depression with sexual risk behaviors among migrants. The relationship between migration stress and sexual risk behaviors may be mediated by depression, and the mediation process may be modified by social capital. The study aims to investigate this moderated mediation mechanism among rural-to-urban migrants. Methods: Data were collected from rural-to-urban migrants in China. Migration stress, depression, and social capital were measured with validated scales and used as predictor, mediator and moderator, respectively, to predict the likelihood of having sex with risk partners. Mediation and moderated mediation models were used to analyze the data. Results: Depression significantly mediated the migration stress-sex with risk partner relationship for males (the indirect effect [95%CI] = 0.36 [0.08, 0.66]); the mediation effect was not significant for females (0.31 [-0.82, 0.16]). Among males, social capital significantly moderated the depression-sex with risk partner relation with moderation effect -0.12 [-0.21, -0.04], -0.21 [-0.41, -0.01] and -0.17 [-0.30, -0.05] for total, bonding and bridging capital respectively. Conclusion: Social capital may weaken the association between migration stress and sexual risk behavior by buffering the depression-sexual risk behaviors association for males. Additional research is needed to examine this issue among females.

Associations between personal social capital and depressive symptoms: Evidence from a probability sample of urban residents in China

BACKGROUND:

Rapid socioeconomic changes in China present a mental health challenge and also an opportunity to investigate the relationship between social capital and depression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Participants (18-45 years old, N = 1,250) were selected using a probability sampling method. The relationship between social capital (measured using the Personal Social Capital Scale) and depression (measured using the Brief Symptom Inventory Depression Subscale) was examined using bivariate analysis, followed by multiple regression to control for covariates.

RESULTS:

Of the total sample, 54.64% were female with mean age = 35.1 (standard deviation ( SD) = 7.5) years old. Depression score was 10.40 ( SD = 3.62) for males and 10.36 ( SD) = 3.30) for females. The social capital measures (including the total, bonding and bridging) were all negatively associated with depression scores, while the negative social capital was positively associated, after controlling for covariates. Subgroup analysis revealed some differences in the social capital-depression associations.

CONCLUSION:

The protective effect of social capital for mental health reported in other countries is also evident in this study. In addition, we found a positive association between negative social capital and depression. In addition to adding new knowledge, findings of this study, if verified with longitudinal design, can be used to support social and behavioral interventions in China to promote mental health by social capital enhancement.

Social Capital Associated with Quality of Life Mediated by Employment Experiences: Evidence from a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in China

Working-age migrants need to possess adequate social capital in order to secure a stable and satisfactory job so that they can pursue a better quality of life (QOL). The positive relationship between social capital and vocational experiences, including successful employment, has been well established. In this study we focused on testing a multi-step mediation model linking social capital with employment experiences, and further to QOL. Survey data from rural-to-urban migrants randomly selected from Wuhan, China were analyzed. Social capital, including bonding and bridging capital, was measured using the Personal Social Capital Scale; employment experiences were measured using five job-related items; and QOL was measured using the Brief Symptoms Inventory. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that job security and job satisfaction were positively and significantly associated with QOL, and social capital measures were significantly associated with higher QOL (primarily for males). Furthermore, job security and job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between social capital and QOL after controlling for covariates. Findings of this study suggest the significance of social capital, job security and satisfaction in improving migrants' QOL, implying the importance of vocational experiences in mediating the effect from social capital to QOL. If the findings can be confirmed with longitudinal data, these factors should be considered in decision making to improve rural-to-urban migrants' QOL in China.

Association of Fatigue and Stress With Gray Matter Volume

Stress is associated with a greater risk for various health problems including reduced gray matter volume (GMV) and density in a number of brain regions. Previous studies show that neuroimaging could be a means to objectively evaluate stress. However, to date, no definite neuroimaging-derived measures are available to detect stress. In this research we used the gray-matter brain healthcare quotient (GM-BHQ), an MRI-based quotient for monitoring brain health based on GMV, as an objective scale to measure the association of stress with the whole brain. We recruited 63 healthy adults to acquire structural T1-weighted images and stress levels evaluated using three representative stress scales: the Profile of Mood States (POMS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFS). We found that the GM-BHQ was sensitive to fatigue and the interaction between fatigue and stress.

Persistent effect at 30-month post intervention of a community-based randomized trial of KM2H2 in reducing stroke and heart attack among senior hypertensive patients

BACKGROUND

The effect of the Keep Moving toward Healthy Heart and Healthy Brain (KM2H2) program at 6-month post intervention has been assessed.  The purpose of this study is to evaluate the KM2H² program at 30-month post intervention.

METHODS

A total of 450 senior hypertensive patients from 12 community health centers were randomized by center to either receive KM2H² plus standard care (6 centers, n = 232) or standard care only (6 centers, n = 218). Data for outcome measures at 30-month post intervention were analyzed. New cases of stroke and heart attack were verified with medical records; levels of physical activity were assessed using self-reported questionnaire. In addition to comparative analysis, adjusted incidence rate and program effects were determined using mixed effects modeling method.

RESULTS

At the 30-month follow-up, the adjusted incidence rate [95% CI] of stroke was 11.81% [5.90, 17.72] for patients in the intervention group and 19.78% [14.07, 25.50] (p = 0.03) for the control group. The adjusted incidence rate of heart attack was 3.34% [1.91, 8.58] and 6.68% [1.64, 11.73] for the intervention and control groups (p = 0.16), respectively; the proportion and the duration of engaging in regular physical activity were significantly greater for the intervention group than the control group. The reductions in blood pressure between the intervention and the control was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The KM2H² program showed a persistent effect up to 30 months post intervention in enhancing physical activity and reducing the risk of cardio-cerebrovascular events, particularly stroke. These findings demonstrate the persistent effect of the KM2H² and suggest the need for a full-scale evaluation of the intervention program for practical use.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN Register ISRCTN12608966 . Registered 03 March 2015. Retrospectively registered.

Self-rated health disparities among disadvantaged older adults in ethnically diverse urban neighborhoods in a Middle Eastern country

OBJECTIVES

This paper examines differentials in self-rated health (SRH) among older adults (aged 60+ years) across three impoverished and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in post-conflict Lebanon and assesses whether variations are explained by social and economic factors.

DESIGN

Data were drawn from the Older Adult Component (n = 740) of the Urban Health Survey, a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in 2003 in a formal community (Nabaa), an informal settlement (Hey El-Sellom), and a refugee camp for Palestinians (Burj El-Barajneh) in Beirut, Lebanon. The role of the social capital and economic security constructs in offsetting poor SRH was assessed using multivariate ordinal logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Older adults in Nabaa fared better in SRH compared to those in Hey El-Sellom and Burj El-Barajneh, with a prevalence of good, average, and poor SRH being respectively, 41.5%, 37.0%, and 21.5% in Nabaa, 33.3%, 23.9%, and 42.7% in Hey El-Sellom, and 25.2%, 31.3%, and 43.5% in Burj El-Barajneh. The economic security construct attenuated the odds of poorer SRH in Burj El-Barajneh as compared to Nabaa from 2.57 (95% confidence interval, CI: 1.89-3.79) to 1.42 (95% CI: 0.96-2.08), but had no impact on this association in Hey El-Sellom (odds ratio, OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.39-3.24). The incorporation of the social capital construct in the fully adjusted model rendered this association insignificant in Hey El-Sellom (OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 0.96-2.32), and led to further reductions in the magnitude of the association in Burj El-Barajneh camp (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.80-1.76).

CONCLUSIONS

The social context in which older adults live and their financial security are key in explaining disparities in SRH in marginalized communities. Social capital and economic security, often overlooked in policy and public health interventions, need to be integrated in dimensions of well-being of older adults, especially in post-conflict settings.

Deliberate self-harm among Chinese medical students: A population-based study

BACKGROUND

The phenomenon of deliberate self-harm (DSH) among college students has received increased attention in recent decades. Adopting a psychosocial perspective, this study aims to describe self-reported DSH among Chinese medical college students, assess respective associations between uncertainty stress and social capital with DSH, and explore the mechanism linking these three phenomena.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey employing multi-stage, sampling was conducted. 4446 undergraduate students were recruited from 22 participating Chinese medical universities. Perceived stress from uncertainty and social capital were assessed among the students. The Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression models assessed correlates of DSH. Relationship among social capital, uncertainty stress, and DSH were examined by means of Structural Equation Modeling.

RESULTS

The prevalence of DSH in the past 12 months among Chinese students was 9.6%. The most common types of physical DSH reported were scratching, cutting, and pinching. Age (χ(2)=26.63, p<0.01), gender (χ(2)=30.24, p<0.01), major field (χ(2)=28.13, p<0.01), and annual household income (χ(2)=11.10, p<0.05) were statistically associated with DSH. Uncertainty stress is a unique correlate of DSH, and shows a stronger association than do three certainty stressors. Social capital is also a strong correlate of DSH, especially cognitive social capital. Moreover, social capital may be indirectly associated with DSH through impacting uncertainty stress.

LIMITATIONS

This study was a cross-sectional and thus could not evaluate causal relationships.

CONCLUSION

We recommend that a DSH intervention study should target uncertainty stress management and social capital accumulation. This study provides scientific evidence and theoretical foundation for future DSH interventions, with a view to enhancing the mental health of medical college students.

Association between Spouse/Child Separation and Migration-Related Stress among a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in Wuhan, China

Background

Millions of people move from rural areas to urban areas in China to pursue new opportunities while leaving their spouses and children at rural homes. Little is known about the impact of migration-related separation on mental health of these rural migrants in urban China.

Methods

Survey data from a random sample of rural-to-urban migrants (n = 1113, aged 18–45) from Wuhan were analyzed. The Domestic Migration Stress Questionnaire (DMSQ), an instrument with four subconstructs, was used to measure migration-related stress. The relationship between spouse/child separation and stress was assessed using survey estimation methods to account for the multi-level sampling design.

Results

16.46% of couples were separated from their spouses (spouse-separation only), 25.81% of parents were separated from their children (child separation only). Among the participants who married and had children, 5.97% were separated from both their spouses and children (double separation). Spouse-separation only and double separation did not scored significantly higher on DMSQ than those with no separation. Compared to parents without child separation, parents with child separation scored significantly higher on DMSQ (mean score = 2.88, 95% CI: [2.81, 2.95] vs. 2.60 [2.53, 2.67], p < .05). Stratified analysis by separation type and by gender indicated that the association was stronger for child-separation only and for female participants.

Conclusion

Child-separation is an important source of migration-related stress, and the effect is particularly strong for migrant women. Public policies and intervention programs should consider these factors to encourage and facilitate the co-migration of parents with their children to mitigate migration-related stress.

Efficacy of a Community-Based Physical Activity Program KM2H2 for Stroke and Heart Attack Prevention among Senior Hypertensive Patients: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Phase-II Trial

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of the program Keep Moving toward Healthy Heart and Healthy Brain (KM2H²) in encouraging physical activities for the prevention of heart attack and stroke among hypertensive patients enrolled in the Community-Based Hypertension Control Program (CBHCP).

Design

Cluster randomized controlled trial with three waves of longitudinal assessments at baseline, 3 and 6 months post intervention.

Setting

Community-based and patient-centered self-care for behavioral intervention in urban settings of China.

Participants

A total of 450 participants diagnosed with hypertension from 12 community health centers in Wuhan, China were recruited, and were randomly assigned by center to receive either KM2H² plus standard CBHCP care (6 centers and 232 patients) or the standard care only (6 centers and 218 patients).

Intervention

KM2H² is a behavioral intervention guided by the Transtheoretical Model, the Model of Personalized Medicine and Social Capital Theory. It consists of six intervention sessions and two booster sessions engineered in a progressive manner. The purpose is to motivate and maintain physical activities for the prevention of heart attack and stroke.

Outcome Measures

Heart attack and stroke (clinically diagnosed, primary outcome), blood pressure (measured, secondary outcome), and physical activity (self-report, tertiary outcome) were assessed at the individual level during the baseline, 3- and 6-month post-intervention.

Results

Relative to the standard care, receiving KM2H² was associated with significant reductions in the incidence of heart attack (3.60% vs. 7.03%, p < .05) and stroke (5.11% vs. 9.90%, p<0.05), and moderate reduction in blood pressure (-3.72mmHg in DBP and -2.92 mmHg in DBP) at 6-month post-intervention; and significant increases in physical activity at 3- (d = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.85) and 6-month (d = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.85) post-intervention, respectively.

Conclusion

The program KM2H² is efficacious to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke among senior patients who are on anti-hypertensive medication. Findings of this study provide solid data supporting a formal phase-III trial to establish the effectiveness of KM2H² for use in community settings for prevention.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN Register ISRCTN12608966

A Comparison of the Number of Men Who Have Sex with Men among Rural-To-Urban Migrants with Non-Migrant Rural and Urban Residents in Wuhan, China: A GIS/GPS-Assisted Random Sample Survey Study

Background

Mobile populations and men who have sex with men (MSM) play an increasing role in the current HIV epidemic in China and across the globe. While considerable research has addressed both of these at-risk populations, more effective HIV control requires accurate data on the number of MSM at the population level, particularly MSM among migrant populations.

Methods

Survey data from a random sample of male rural-to-urban migrants (aged 18-45, n=572) in Wuhan, China were analyzed and compared with those of randomly selected non-migrant urban (n=566) and rural counterparts (580). The GIS/GPS technologies were used for sampling and the survey estimation method was used for data analysis.

Results

HIV-related risk behaviors among rural-to-urban migrants were similar to those among the two comparison groups. The estimated proportion of MSM among migrants [95% CI] was 5.8% [4.7, 6.8], higher than 2.8% [1.2, 4.5] for rural residents and 1.0% [0.0, 2.4] for urban residents, respectively. Among these migrants, the MSM were more likely than non-MSM to be older in age, married, and migrated to more cities. They were also more likely to co-habit with others in rental properties located in new town and neighborhoods with fewer old acquaintances and more entertainment establishments. In addition, they were more likely to engage in commercial sex and less likely to consistently use condoms.

Conclusion

Findings of this study indicate that compared to rural and urban populations, the migrant population in Wuhan consists of a higher proportion of MSM who also exhibit higher levels of HIV-related risk behaviors. More effective interventions should target this population with a focus on neighborhood factors, social capital and collective efficacy for risk reduction.

Development and validation of a social capital questionnaire for adolescent students (SCQ-AS)

Objectives

Social capital has been studied due to its contextual influence on health. However, no specific assessment tool has been developed and validated for the measurement of social capital among 12-year-old adolescent students. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a quick, simple assessment tool to measure social capital among adolescent students.

Methods

A questionnaire was developed based on a review of relevant literature. For such, searches were made of the Scientific Electronic Library Online, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences, The Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Knowledge, International Database for Medical Literature and PubMed Central bibliographical databases from September 2011 to January 2014 for papers addressing assessment tools for the evaluation of social capital. Focus groups were also formed by adolescent students as well as health, educational and social professionals. The final assessment tool was administered to a convenience sample from two public schools (79 students) and one private school (22 students), comprising a final sample of 101 students. Reliability and internal consistency were evaluated using the Kappa coefficient and Cronbach's alpha coefficient, respectively. Content validity was determined by expert consensus as well as exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

The final version of the questionnaire was made up of 12 items. The total scale demonstrated very good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.71). Reproducibility was also very good, as the Kappa coefficient was higher than 0.72 for the majority of items (range: 0.63 to 0.97). Factor analysis grouped the 12 items into four subscales: School Social Cohesion, School Friendships, Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Trust (school and neighborhood).

Conclusions

The present findings indicate the validity and reliability of the Social Capital Questionnaire for Adolescent Students.