Which part of community social capital is related to life satisfaction and self-rated health? A multilevel analysis based on a nationwide mail survey in Japan

Can countries shape the association between cumulative adversity and old-age health?

Introduction

The present study examined the relationships of Lifetime Cumulative Adversity (LCA) and country inequalities, as well as the interactions between them, with the self-rated health (SRH) in old age.

Methods

Using data from the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), the study regressed self-rated health on Lifetime Cumulative Adversity and country-level inequality indices across European countries in two points in time. The analysis also considered adversity-inequality interactions, controlling for confounders. The sample was comprised of 28,789 adults, aged 50 to 80, from 25 European countries and Israel.

Results

The findings pointed out that LCA is negatively associated with SRH, but democracy and welfare regimes modify the ill effects of LCA on health. These effects are reduced as the LCA level increases. The effects remained significant over two measurement time-points over three years, showing that life-course trajectories may be shaped by individual accumulated risk exposure to stress, along with inequalities at the society level.

Discussion

The study provides constructive and important guidance for decreasing the harmful effect of lifetime adversity in old age, by the modification of the country's welfare policies.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between economic inequality and prosocial behaviour

How does economic inequality relate to prosocial behaviour? Existing theories and empirical studies from multiple disciplines have produced mixed results. Here we conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to systematically synthesize empirical studies. Results from 192 effect sizes and over 2.5 million observations in 100 studies show that the relationship varies from being negative to positive depending upon the study (95% prediction interval -0.450 to 0.343). However, on average, there is a small, negative relationship between economic inequality and prosocial behaviour (r = -0.064, P = 0.004, 95% confidence interval -0.106 to -0.021). There is generally no evidence that results depend upon characteristics of the studies, participants, the way prosocial behaviour and inequality were assessed, and the publication discipline. Given the prevalence of economic inequality and the importance of prosocial behaviour, this systematic review and meta-analysis provides a timely study on the relationship between economic inequality and prosocial behaviour.

What Are the Recipes of an Entrepreneur's Subjective Well-Being? A Fuzzy-Set Approach for China

Entrepreneurs face more pressure and challenges than ordinary workers, which has a serious impact on their physical and mental health. Therefore, the research focus has gradually shifted from objective indicators of entrepreneurial performance to exploration of entrepreneurs' subjective well-being. However, previous studies were often limited to a net effect analysis of a single dimension under symmetric thinking in quantitative research. Therefore, this study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the configuration path of entrepreneurs' physical and mental health at the individual level, social capital at the collective level, and subjective well-being from the perspective of configuration. The sample was of 279 effective entrepreneurs from the 2017 China General Social Survey (CGSS). Four types of entrepreneurs were found to improve their high well-being profiles: optimistic efficiency-driven, trust efficiency-driven, strong psychology-driven, and weak relationship-driven. Research shows that the interaction between physical and mental health and social capital jointly affects the subjective well-being of entrepreneurs. The research findings reinforce the need for attention to the physical and mental health of entrepreneurs, which are conducive to their active participation in social life. Additionally, establishing weak relationship-oriented interpersonal networks and accumulating social resources to further achieve higher subjective well-being is required.

Three-year effects of neighborhood social network intervention on mental and physical health of older adults

OBJECTIVES

Although neighborhood is considered to be a crucial source of social network to promote health among older adults, current findings are mostly derived from observational study designs. This study examined whether participations in event-based community programs could increase neighborhood social network and whether such increase could lead to desirable changes in mental and physical health among older adults.

METHOD

This study employed quasi-experimental design. A baseline questionnaire survey was sent to residents of Tsurukabuto community aged 60 years or more (n = 1769); 1,068 responded. Community events were implemented approximately once a month for three years. Then, a three-year follow-up survey questionnaire was sent to the respondents of the baseline survey. The total number of respondents in the latter survey was 662; of the total, 173 participated in the intervention. Strong and weak ties with neighbors, mental well-being (Ikigai-9), health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) were measured in the surveys.

RESULTS

The path analysis revealed that intervention participation was significantly associated with changes in strong ties (standardized path coefficient = 0.12) and changes in strong ties were associated with those in Ikigai-9 scores (standardized path coefficient = 0.15). The total and indirect effects of intervention participation on Ikigai-9 scores were significant. Significant intervention effects were not observed for HRQOL and IADL scores.

CONCLUSION

This study found that participation in our event-based intervention could indirectly and positively influence older adults' mental well-being through their strong ties with their neighbors.

Examining the multilevel associations between psychological wellbeing and social trust: A primary analysis of survey data

The present study examines the associations between multiple measures of social trust and two outcomes of psychological wellbeing (happiness and depression) among South Korean adults (n = 1549) living in residential communities, that is, administrative districts (n = 77) in and around the capital city of Seoul. Based on multilevel modeling, we find that familial trust positively predicts happiness at both individual and contextual levels; and it negatively predicts depression at the individual level only. In comparison, peer trust is negatively related only to depression at the individual level, albeit marginally. Lastly, general trust significantly predicts both outcomes at the community, but not individual, level. These mixed findings suggest that the trust-wellbeing relationship depends critically on issues of definition (how the variables are conceptualized) and measurement (how they are operationalized according to different units of analysis). Our study offers implications for the literature on social determinants of mental health broadly and, more specifically, on the role of social trust.

Association of Structural Social Capital and Self-Reported Well-Being among Japanese Community-Dwelling Adults: A Longitudinal Study

Previous studies have shown both positive and non-positive associations between social capital and health. However, longitudinal evidence examining its comprehensive effects on well-being is still limited. This study examined whether structural social capital in the local community was related to the later well-being of Japanese people aged 40 or above. A 4-year longitudinal study was conducted in a rural Japanese town. “Well-being” was measured using three indicators (happiness, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms), and those who were high in well-being in the baseline 2015 survey and responded to the follow-up 2019 survey were analyzed (n = 1032 for happiness, 938 for self-rated health, and 471 for depressive symptoms). Multilevel Poisson regression analysis adjusted for covariates showed that having contact with fewer neighbors was associated with a decline in happiness at both the community level (adjusted relative risk = 1.64, 95% confidence interval = 1.20–1.63) and the individual level (adjusted relative risk = 1.51, 95% confidence interval = 1.05–2.17), but participation in local community activities was not. The results suggest that dense personal networks might be more important in areas with thriving local community activities, not only for individuals but also for all community members.

Individual Social Capital and Life Satisfaction among Mainland Chinese Adults: Based on the 2016 China Family Panel Studies

Background: At present, most Chinese adults are under great psychological pressure, which seriously affects the improvement of life satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the associations between individual social capital and life satisfaction among mainland Chinese adults. Methods: We used a nationally representative dataset called 2016 China Family Panel Studies, and a total of 26,009 people suited our study requirements. Chi-squared test and binary regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between individual social capital and life satisfaction among mainland Chinese adults. Results: The results indicated that cognitive social capital had significant effects on life satisfaction (p < 0.05), but the impact of structural social capital on life satisfaction became less significant when combined with sociodemographic variables and socioeconomic status (SES) (p > 0.05). Moreover, we also found that life satisfaction was better in married/cohabited (p < 0.05) and in over 65 age group people (p < 0.05). Self-rated income level, self-rated social status, and self-rated health all had positive effects on life satisfaction (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Given the stabilizing effect of cognitive social capital at the individual level on life satisfaction, the government should attach great importance to this aspect when trying to improve adults’ life satisfaction.

Do Informal Social Ties and Local Festival Participation Relate to Subjective Well-Being?

The present study examined the relationship between social capital, local festival participation, and subjective well-being. Moreover, this study examined whether the effect of social capital on subjective well-being can be mediated by festival participation. In addition, it examined the decomposition effect of festival participation and control of models for demographic characteristics. Data used are from the International Comparative Survey on Lifestyle and Values (ICSLV) SWB South Korea Survey. The total number of respondents for the analysis is 1694. The findings indicate that trustful relationships with family and relatives, friends, and neighbors are considerably related to subjective well-being than structural social capital. Moreover, the trust of informal social ties shows considerable potential in facilitating individuals’ local festival participation, which is associated with subjective well-being. Individuals who often participate in traditional local festivals in their communities show higher subjective well-being than those who never attend any festivals. Local festivals in communities can play an important role in strengthening links with individuals in these communities and affect community residents’ well-being. Lastly, the findings can suggest beneficial theoretical and practical implications, and enrich the previous literature on social capital and festival participation.

Residents living in communities with higher civic participation report higher self-rated health

It has been shown that community-level social capital may affect residents' health. The present mixed ecological study assesses the evidence for an association between the community-level social capital and the individual level of self-rated health. The Hakui City Health Interview Survey targeted 15,242 people aged 40 years and older from 11 communities. Among them, 6578 residents responded to the questionnaire (response rate, 43.2%). We examined whether the community-level social capital (general trust, norm, and civic participation) was associated with the individual level of self-rated health. Overall, 1919 (29.1%) answers of self-rated poor health were identified. Community-level civic participation was negatively associated with poor self-rated health after adjusting for individual demographic factors, individual social capitals, and community-level economic status, whereas community-level general trust, and norm were not significant. The findings suggest the importance of fostering communities with high civic participation to reduce the poor health status of residents.

Effect of cognitive and structural social capital on depression among older adults in Ghana: A multilevel cross-sectional analysis

Evidence from existing studies suggests social capital has mixed effects on depression and other common mental disorders. There is little knowledge of the possible association between social capital and depression among the growing older population in sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates the effect of cognitive social capital (trust and sense of safety) and structural social capital (social participation or engagement in social activities) on depression among older adults in Ghana. Utilizing multilevel mixed-effect analysis, we investigate the effect of individual-level and neighborhood-level social capital (cognitive and structural) on depression using data from the World Health Organization Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (WHO-SAGE) survey (Wave 1). The findings show that at an individual level, older adults who felt safe at home were less likely to have depression. We observed mixed results for elements of structural social capital at the individual level. Older adults who frequently engaged in club or group meetings, worked with neighbors and engaged in social outings were more likely to have depression; while attending public meetings and socializing with co-workers were associated with reduced likelihood of having depression. At the neighborhood level, increased trust in neighbors was associated with an increased likelihood of having depression (OR = 1.01, p < 0.05) while higher levels of neighborhood safety and structural social capital were associated with a reduced likelihood of having depression. The findings suggest that the differential associations between elements of social capital and depression may be the result of contextual factors.

Energy Poverty and Life Satisfaction: Structural Mechanisms and Their Implications

This paper investigates the distinct mechanisms through which energy poverty is linked to life satisfaction, via health status and one’s satisfaction with one’s own socioeconomic status, using data from the Life in Transition survey. Our sample contains 19,598 individuals from 11 former communist states located in Central and Eastern Europe, and two developed countries for comparison. We estimated a partial least squared–path model and found that both health status and socioeconomic status are relevant mediators. Our results also indicate that gender moderates the relation between health status and life satisfaction. Energy poverty has a low contribution to health status but a larger contribution to satisfaction with socioeconomic status, thus indicating that interventions on energy poverty may not greatly improve the level of health, but can have an influence on how people feel about their life. The contribution of our paper is twofold. On the one side, we continue to consolidate the existing link between energy poverty and self-reported health status with a new focus on the Central and Eastern European countries; on another side, we propose a theoretical framework expansion by including totally novel factors to be analyzed in this context: satisfaction with socioeconomic status, economic environment improvement, and intolerance.

Examining Roles of Tour Dure Producers for Social Capital and Innovativeness in Community-Based Tourism

The Dure community is a traditional meeting and collaborative effort for solving tasks and issues in rural farming villages in Korea. Recently, the South Korean government has tried to revitalize Dure communities to develop tourism businesses in local provinces. Tour Dure projects aimed at revitalizing local communities and promoting sustainable economic development have been operating since 2013. Tour Dure producers, as change agents, play a critical role in the Tour Dure projects. The purpose of this study is to reveal the producers’ roles in realizing community-based tourism (CBT). Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, this study analyzes the relationship between the producers’ role and social capital in local communities and the subsequent impact on residents’ innovativeness and life satisfaction. The results show that the producer’s role is important in creating social capital, improving innovativeness, and, as a result, residents’ life satisfaction. The present study suggests further implications for academics and policy makers focused on sustainable CBT.

Inequality within a community at the neighborhood level and the incidence of mood disorders in Japan: a multilevel analysis

PURPOSE

This study analyzes whether income inequality within a community at the neighborhood level is associated with incidence of mood disorder in Japan.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed using the data of 116,658 National Health Insurance beneficiaries aged between 20 and 69 in Chiba City, Japan. To evaluate income inequality within a community, the Gini coefficient within a 30-min walking distance from an individual's residence was calculated using income distribution estimated by the National Census and the Housing and Land Survey 2013. Incidence of mood disorder was determined through insurance claims submitted from April 1, 2013, to March 31, 2016. A multilevel logistic analysis with three levels-the individual, household, and residential district-was performed to evaluate the association.

RESULTS

Income inequality within a community at the neighborhood level was not associated with incidence of mood disorder in the models with and without equivalent household income (p for trend = 0.856 and 0.947, respectively). No difference was observed in the impact of the Gini coefficient among income levels, lower versus higher income groups (p for interaction between Gini coefficient and household income = 0.967). In contrast, lower equivalent income at the household level was significantly associated with higher incidence of mood disorder (p for trend < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

While we confirmed that lower income at the household level itself had an adverse effect on mental health, income inequality within a community at the neighborhood level was not a significant factor for incidence of mood disorder in Japan.

Social capital and physical health: An updated review of the literature for 2007-2018

PURPOSE

Social capital is frequently indicated as a determinant of population health. Despite an increase in the frequency of public health studies including such measures, our understanding of social capital's effects on health remains unclear. In 2008, a systematic review of the "first decade" of research on social capital and health was published in the textbook Social Capital and Health. Our study intends to update and expand upon this original review to account for developments in the literature over the second decade of research on social capital and health.

METHODS

We employed a systematic review of empirical studies investigating the relationship between measures of social capital and physical health outcomes published between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2018. To identify potential studies, we conducted searches of PubMed, Embase, and PsychINFO databases in January 2019 using combinations of "social capital" and "physical health" search terms.

RESULTS

We identified 1,608 unique articles and reviewed 145 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. The most frequently examined health condition was self-reported health (57%), followed by mortality (12%), cardiovascular diseases (10%), obesity (7%), diabetes (6%), infectious diseases (5%), and cancers (3%). Of these studies, 127 (88%) reported at least partial support for a protective association between social capital and health. However, only 41 (28%) reported exclusively positive findings. The majority (59%) of results were mixed, suggesting a nuanced relationship between social capital and health. This finding could also be indicative of differences in study design, which showed substantial variation.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite limitations in the literature, our review chronicles an evolution in the field of social capital and health in terms of size and sophistication. Overall, these studies suggest that social capital may be an important protective factor for some physical health outcomes, but further research is needed to confirm and clarify these findings.

Reprint of: Positive Psychological Well-Being and Cardiovascular Disease: JACC Health Promotion Series

Facets of positive psychological well-being, such as optimism, have been identified as positive health assets because they are prospectively associated with the 7 metrics of cardiovascular health (CVH) and improved outcomes related to cardiovascular disease. Connections between psychological well-being and cardiovascular conditions may be mediated through biological, behavioral, and psychosocial pathways. Individual-level interventions, such as mindfulness-based programs and positive psychological interventions, have shown promise for modifying psychological well-being. Further, workplaces are using well-being-focused interventions to promote employee CVH, and these interventions represent a potential model for expanding psychological well-being programs to communities and societies. Given the relevance of psychological well-being to promoting CVH, this review outlines clinical recommendations to assess and promote well-being in encounters with patients. Finally, a research agenda is proposed. Additional prospective observational studies are needed to understand mechanisms underlying the connection between psychological well-being and cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, rigorous intervention trials are needed to assess whether psychological well-being-promoting programs can improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Positive Psychological Well-Being and Cardiovascular Disease: JACC Health Promotion Series

Facets of positive psychological well-being, such as optimism, have been identified as positive health assets because they are prospectively associated with the 7 metrics of cardiovascular health (CVH) and improved outcomes related to cardiovascular disease. Connections between psychological well-being and cardiovascular conditions may be mediated through biological, behavioral, and psychosocial pathways. Individual-level interventions, such as mindfulness-based programs and positive psychological interventions, have shown promise for modifying psychological well-being. Further, workplaces are using well-being-focused interventions to promote employee CVH, and these interventions represent a potential model for expanding psychological well-being programs to communities and societies. Given the relevance of psychological well-being to promoting CVH, this review outlines clinical recommendations to assess and promote well-being in encounters with patients. Finally, a research agenda is proposed. Additional prospective observational studies are needed to understand mechanisms underlying the connection between psychological well-being and cardiovascular outcomes. Moreover, rigorous intervention trials are needed to assess whether psychological well-being-promoting programs can improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Examining Relationships between Social Capital, Emotion Experience and Life Satisfaction for Sustainable Community

As an important component of urban construction, the community sustainable construction is of great significance to the social development. Despite the importance of the social dimension of community sustainability, it has received relatively little attention when compared to the sustainability of environmental and economic dimensions. Based on the literature review, it is found that the social dimension of the sustainable community, such as residents’ psychological feelings, social capital, has a strong effect on the sustainability of communities. This paper, therefore, conducts an empirical study on the mediating role of emotion experience on the associations between social capital and life satisfaction. Research on the relationship between them can help to generate synergies and strengthen the effect of promoting community sustainable development. A total of 229 complete responses from residents in China is used for data analysis. Results from the multiple linear regression analysis indicate that social capital has the significant positive effect on life satisfaction; the influence of social capital on life satisfaction is partly mediated by positive and negative affect, the social capital improves the life satisfaction through promoting positive affect, while it enhances the life satisfaction through restraining the negative affect. Based on the relationship between them, the relevant recommendations for the measures on the sustainable community can be proposed.

Social Capital and Life Satisfaction across Older Rural Chinese Groups: Does Age Matter?

This study examined the age difference in the relationship between social capital in the form of cognitive (trust, family support) and structural aspects (social membership, activity frequency) and life satisfaction of older Chinese people in a rural area. Data were collected from 398 elders in the rural area of China by quota sampling. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to realize the objective. Trust and family support were significantly positively associated with life satisfaction, whereas social membership was strongly negatively associated with life satisfaction. Activity frequency did not show any significance in relationship with life satisfaction. Age difference existed in the associations of trust and activity frequency with life satisfaction. Age difference in the relationship of trust and activity frequency with life satisfaction of elderly Chinese people in the rural area did exist. It is recommended that the measure be refined and programs and services be provided according to the hierarchical needs of older adults in different age groups.

Physical Social Capital and Psychosocial Social Capital as Mediators Between Socio-economic Inequality and Expressions of Well-being and Health in Israeli Kibbutz Populations

A large number of studies show that degree of socio-economic inequality ‘within’ a social entity negatively determines levels of well-being and life expectancy, and is positively associated with morbidity and mortality. This relationship holds over and above the impact of average income level. This initially suggested model put forward a causal flow with mediating variables of ‘relative deprivation’ and followed it up with the expressions of ‘social capital’ in the social psychological sense. This article tests, besides these, the role of an additional (relatively little referred to) mediating set of variables between economic inequality and measures of well-being and health, namely levels of physical investments by society (physical social capital [PHSC]) for fulfilling its individual members’ needs. It is proposed that the higher the level of inequality, the lower would be a society’s investments in PHSC (such as in education, health services, job creation, ecology conservation, public transportation and the like) that contribute to health, well-being and survival. The proposition is tested out in two kinds of kibbutz communities: one, ‘traditional’ with strong adherence to social and economic equality among members; and another, ‘transformed’ kibbutzim, where salaries are differential and are based on position or occupation. The two groups of kibbutzim were roughly equated on size, years since settlement, political belonging, economic standing and geographical location. Findings show that the degree of inequality is associated with the level of both psychosocial social capital and PHSC, which in turn contribute independently and cumulatively to levels of peoples’ health and well-being. Transformed kibbutzim are seen as an expression of neoliberal ideology results in the negative effects on health and well-being of individuals and their communities.

Social capital in Japan: What characteristics do public health nurses see in their communities?

AIM

A concept of social capital that accounts for a community's cultural background and incorporates social capital into public health nursing practice are needed. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of social capital in the context of public health nursing in Japan.

METHODS

The study interviewed 11 veteran public health nurses from five municipalities across Japan and undertook a qualitative research analysis. A digital voice recorder was used to collect qualitative data by using a background data sheet and semistructured interviews. Trustworthiness in interpreting the data was ensured by conducting 13 additional interviews with residents and collating the two sets of results.

RESULTS

All the participants were female: 10 were veterans with ≥15 years' experience. Nine worked in management. The methods yielded six categories: (i) the richness of the interactions among the residents; (ii) the community residents who showed concern for those in need; (iii) community civic activities; (iv) the residents' willingness to contribute to the community; (v) the health promotion volunteers who work alongside the public health nurses; and (vi) an enriched community environment.

CONCLUSION

The results contribute to an understanding of social capital in the context of public health nursing activities and further research on social capital. It also is discussed how social capital can be incorporated into public health nursing activities in the future.

The impact of neighborhood social capital on life satisfaction and self-rated health: A possible pathway for health promotion?

Neighborhood social capital has repeatedly been linked to favorable health-outcomes and life satisfaction. However, it has been questioned whether it's impact on health has been over-rated. We aim to investigate relationships between neighborhood social capital and self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS) respectively, both directly and indirectly mediated via Sense of Coherence and self-esteem. Based on a cross-sectional population-survey (N=865) in a medium size Norwegian municipality, we specified a structural equation model (SEM) including the above-listed variables, while controlling for gender, age, education, income, and employment status. The applied model explains more variance in LS (46%) than in SRH (23%). Social capital has a stronger impact on life satisfaction than on health. The indirect pathway via SOC had the highest impact on life satisfaction, but no significant relationship to SRH. Self-rated health was more tightly linked to personal background variables. Enhancing social capital in the neighborhood might be a beneficial strategy to promote life satisfaction, as well as strengthening sense of coherence even in healthy communities.