Measures of personal social capital over time: A path analysis assessing longitudinal associations among cognitive, structural, and network elements of social capital in women and men separately

Inverse Association Between Mothers' Cognitive Social Capital During Pregnancy and Postpartum Depression: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Purpose

Several studies have reported an apparent inverse association between cognitive social capital and depression in various groups, but insights into this association in perinatal mothers are fairly limited. Therefore, we explored the possible associations between expectant mothers' cognitive social capital (ie, neighborhood trust and reciprocity and generalized trust and reciprocity) and postpartum depression at 1 and 6 months after delivery.

Patients and Methods

As part of an ongoing cohort study, the Japan Environment and Children's Study, cognitive social capital was evaluated using a questionnaire survey during mid-late pregnancy and postpartum depression was assessed using the Japanese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. This study analyzed data from 81,670 mothers. Logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for postpartum depression by the degree of neighborhood and generalized trust and reciprocity (high, relatively high, neutral, relatively low, and low) using the high category as a reference.

Results

Regardless of the measurement time point, prevalence gradually increased as the degree of neighborhood trust decreased (all p < 0.001), suggesting a higher likelihood of postpartum depression with less neighborhood trust. A comparable tendency was also observed for the other three variables of cognitive social capital (all p < 0.001). Moreover, the inverse association of postpartum depression with generalized trust and reciprocity was markedly stronger (ORs for low category ≥ 2.70) than that with neighborhood trust and reciprocity (ORs for low category ≤ 1.96).

Conclusion

Our findings highlight a statistically significant inverse association between cognitive social capital during pregnancy and postpartum depression at both time points.

Modeling residents' multidimensional social capital in China's neighborhood renewal projects: SEM and MIMIC approaches

Neighborhood renewal is now an important approach to sustainable urban development in China. However, neighborhood renewal projects are often beset with social problems such as noncooperation from residents, which can be attributed to diverse interests and complex relationships among residents. However, there is little research on resident relations in China and intra-resident conflict. Based on social capital, this study provided a better understanding of resident relationships in neighborhood renewal in China. To this end, we developed a theoretical framework of residents' multidimensional social capital (structural, relational, and cognitive). Then, a survey was conducted to collect data from 590 residents across China who were experiencing or had experienced neighborhood renewal. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling were used. The results revealed positive effects of structural social capital on relational and cognitive social capital, and the mediation role of relational social capital was demonstrated. We also tested the effects of differences in sociodemographic characteristics. Our findings verify the explanatory power of social capital regarding residents' complex relationships in neighborhood renewal in China. Implications for theory and policy are discussed. This study helps to improve our understanding of residents' social systems in neighborhood renewal and provides theoretical support for formulating neighborhood renewal policies in China and abroad.

Women's Participation in a Savings Group and Depression: a Community-Based Financial Capability Intervention in Mozambique

Background

As one of the fastest growing community-based financial capability approaches, village savings and loan group (VSLG) is an organized group and formal entity that creates opportunities for participants to save and access financial assets. VSLG has potentially positive impacts on increasing women's financial resources and social support and further improves their mental health. Participation in a VSLG not only increases women's opportunities for asset-building and income generation, but also facilitates trust and promotes social capital development. However, few studies have examined the association between the VSLG participation and women's depression status. To fill the knowledge gap, we examined the association between the VSLG participation and depressive symptoms among low-income women in Mozambique.

Methods

The data was collected as part of the VSLG program evaluation. The study applied a posttest-only comparison group quasi-experimental design and sampled female VSLG participants and non-participants from three sub-villages in the Sofala province, Mozambique. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed, and a total of 205 women were randomly selected, including 105 VSLG participants and 100 non-participants. Depressive symptoms were measured using the short version of the Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) with a summative score ranging from 7 to 28. Using the cutoff value at a score of 14, we created a dichotomous depression indicator. Linear and logit models were used to examine the associations of the VSLG participation and the participation duration with the depression score and the presence of depression controlling for demographic variables.

Results

The VSLG participants had a statistically lower mean depression score of 12.2 (SD = 4.4) compared to non-participants (15.0, SD = 4.0, p < .001). The regression analysis suggested that the VSLG participants had a mean depression score of 2.7 lower than the non-participants (p < .001). Nearly 60% of the non-participants reported the presence of depression; however, this percentage is 31% for participants (p < .001). The multivariate logit model indicated the odds of the presence of depression for participants are .34 of that for non-participants. Similar results were obtained when the VSLG program duration was used as an independent variable.

Conclusions

Study findings showed a positive association between the VSLG participation and women's mental health. Future research should further explore the intervention mechanisms and assess how the VSLG participation affects women's mental health. Findings also provided important insights into developing community-based financial capability interventions to improve low-income women's mental health.

Trauma and Trust: How War Exposure Shapes Social and Institutional Trust Among Refugees

The brutal wars in Iraq, Syria and now Ukraine have caused a massive influx of refugees to Europe. Turkey alone has received more than 4.8 million refugees. An important precondition for their economic and social incorporation is trust: refugees need to trust the citizens as well as the state and the justice system to find their place in the host country. Yet refugees’ propensity to trust may be affected by cultural differences between their home and host countries, their personal conflict exposure and the experiences they had on the run. This study investigates how individual differences in exposure to armed conflict and institutional breakdown shape two types of trust among refugees: Generalized social trust and trust in the institutions of the settlement country. We survey a large and diverse sample of refugees from Syria and Iraq living in Turkish communities and deploy well-established measures of conflict exposure, posttraumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth. We find that higher degrees of conflict exposure are positively related to social trust, and to trust in courts and the police. These positive findings are largely driven by refugees who had very personal and emotionally powerful experiences. The psychological mechanism of posttraumatic growth cannot explain these findings, however, suggesting positive experiences of cooperation in the midst of war and displacement are potentially a better explanation for this finding than positive psychological changes resulting from trauma. At the same time, conflict exposure is negatively related to trust in political institutions. Posttraumatic stress may be the mechanism behind this result. We discuss the implications of these findings for the integration of war refugees—a topic that is tragically of great relevance today.

The Association between Types of COVID-19 Information Source and the Avoidance of Child Health Checkups in Japan: Findings from the JACSIS 2021 Study

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic can affect children's well-being through mothers' avoidance of health checkups for children due to media portrayal of the disease. This study investigated the association between the type of information source for COVID-19 received by mothers and the avoidance of their children's health checkups. The study was an online-based survey, and the participants comprised 5667 postpartum women with children aged under 2 years during the study period. We analyzed the analytic sample and three groups of women with children aged 0-3 months, 4-6 months, and 6 months or older according to the timing of children's health checkups in Japan. Among the participants, 382 women (6.7%) avoided their children's health checkups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that mothers with children over 6 months who used magazines as an information source about COVID-19 tended to avoid their children's health checkups (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 3.19; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.68-6.05) compared with those who did not. In contrast, those using public websites were less likely to avoid their children's health checkups (aOR 0.58, 95% CI 0.43-0.77). This study showed that specific types of information source on COVID-19 could have varying effects on mothers' decisions about their children's health checkups.

The impact pathways of environmental, social, and behavioural factors on healthy ageing for urban dwellers aged 85+: Longitudinal study of the Tokyo Oldest Old Survey on Total Health (TOOTH)

In the context of global population ageing and concentration in cities, the population aged 80 and over (80+) is growing rapidly. Japan has the fastest ageing population and longest healthy average life expectancy, while health decline becomes pronounced and care needs increase in the 85+ age group post the ‘average life expectancy’. The healthy ageing of older urban community dwellers is a pressing issue in world initiatives for sustainable urbanisation. However, for the 85+ age group, less is known about how promoting/inhibiting factors and their pathways influence healthy ageing, and related longitudinal studies remain insufficient. Using data from a longitudinal cohort study conducted from 2008–2009 to 2014–2015 among independent dwellers aged 85+ in central Tokyo (men = 203, women = 232), this study analysed the impact pathways of environmental, social, and behavioural factors on health and survival to explore promoters and potential risks on healthy ageing by gender, with multi-group structural equation modelling (SEM) and Bayesian SEM. For both genders, there was a positive chained pathway starting from friends as facilitators through positive interactions between 'social participation’ and 'active behaviour' to 'ageing-related health'. Additionally, their personal networks were small, suggesting that men with family-centred networks and women with non-family-centred networks require different approaches and supports. Implications of the results are discussed, and an organised social watch and support system, which becomes more important in the ‘new normal’ for urban dwellers aged 85+, is recommended.

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A 6-year longitudinal cohort study for independent urban dwellers aged 85+.

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SEM analysis among environmental, social, and behavioural factors on health.

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Friends can facilitate positive chained path through activities to health.

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Gender-differences in nature of personal networks affect healthy ageing.

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Social watching, support are necessary for this group in sustainable urbanisation.

Socioeconomic Status, Peer Social Capital, and Quality of Life of High School Students During COVID-19: A Mediation Analysis

This paper investigates how peer social capital mediates associations between socioeconomic status and quality of life among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using survey data and school administration records collected at a high school (N = 1,736) in a coastal province in China, the results demonstrate that adolescents' socioeconomic status is associated strongly with their quality of life. When students were learning at home during COVID-19 school closures, peer social capital exerted a mediating effect on the association between socioeconomic status and quality of life. Most importantly, while peer social capital rooted in the real world seemed to be related positively to higher quality of life, peer social capital in the virtual world led to lower quality of life. These findings suggest that peer social capital might manifest different impact mechanisms for adolescents during the pandemic. Theoretical contributions and policy implications are discussed in this paper.

Association between social capital and sleep duration among rural older adults in China

OBJECTIVE

Sleep disturbances are great challenges to older adults' health promotion. The study tested gender differences in the association between different dimensions of social capital and self-reported sleep duration of Chinese rural older adults.

DESIGN

The data of rural older adults were extracted from a national cross-sectional survey of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and analyzed in this study.

SETTING

CLHLS covered 23 provinces in China.

PARTICIPANTS

The 6552 rural respondents aged ≥65 years old were involved.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Generalized trust, informal social participation, formal social participation and social support were used to assess social capital. Self-reported sleep duration was measured as health outcome.

RESULTS

Low level of generalized trust had harmful effect on insufficient sleep (AOR 1.110, 95% CI 1.018-1.324), and having no formal or informal social participation was significantly positively associated with long sleep (AOR_formal 1.424, 95% CI 1.007-2.013; AOR_informal 1.241, 95% CI 1.016-1.516). Rural older female adults with no emotional social support had higher odds of insufficient sleep (AOR 1.502, 95% CI 1.258-1.978). Meanwhile, both informal and formal social participation showed inverse association with long sleep for females.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found the relationship between social capital, sleep duration and the gender differences in Chinese rural older adults. More targeted sleep disturbance interventions could be taken in social capital of rural older adults, and gender differences should be considered when making social capital-embedded health promotion policies and interventions.

Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010-2015

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to examine the associations of both individual-level and county-level social capital with individual health in China during a period of rapid economic growth.

DESIGN AND SETTING

A serial cross-sectional study in China.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

The participants were 42 829 Chinese adults (aged ≥18 years) from the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 Chinese General Social Survey. The outcomes were self-rated physical and mental health in all time points. We assessed social capital by the individual-level and county-level indicators, including frequency of socialising, civic participation and trust. We conducted multilevel binary logistic regression models to examine the associations of individual-level and county-level social capital with self-rated physical and mental health.

RESULTS

At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010-OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.33 to 1.66; 2012-OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.26 to 1.54; 2013-OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.42; 2015-OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.50) and high trust (2010-OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.47; 2012-OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.42; 2013-OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.33; 2015-OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.28 to 1.55) was significantly associated with good physical health in all years. At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010-OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.42; 2012-OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.34; 2013-OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.45; 2015-OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.50) and high trust (2010-OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.34 to 1.61; 2012-OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.56; 2013-OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.49; 2015-OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.57) was also significantly associated with good mental health in all years. No evidence showed that the associations of individual-level frequency of socialising and trust with physical and mental health changed over time. There were no consistent associations of individual-level civic participation or any county-level social capital indicators with physical or mental health.

CONCLUSION

The positive associations of individual-level social capital in terms of socialising and trust with physical and mental health were robust during a period of rapid economic growth. Improving individual-level socialising and trust for health promotion could be a long-term strategy even within a rapidly developing society.

Impact of social capital, sex and education on the utilization of public health services: a cross sectional study based on the China migrant dynamic survey

Background

China is making efforts to promote the equalization of National Essential Public Health Services (NEPHS) for internal migrants. Studies have demonstrated that the impacts of social capital on health services are different among subgroups of people. Clarifying these differences will help China accurately promote the equalization of NEPHS for the internal migrants and provide reference for other countries.

Methods

Data from the China Migrant Dynamic Survey of 2017, involving 130,642 migrants in 31 provinces were used to clarify the complex relationship between social capital and the utilization of NEPHS. Social capital was divided into regional cognitive social capital (RCSC), regional structural social capital (RSSC), individual cognitive social capital (ICSC), and individual structural social capital (ISSC). Then, multi-level logistic regression was conducted to analyze their impacts on the utilization of NEPHS of the migrants, and whether such impacts are moderated by sex and education.

Results

(1) There are significant differences in the levels of CSC, SSC, and NEPHS utilization between different sexs and educational subgroups of the migrants, among which the educational difference is more prominent. (2) An interaction exists between the levels and dimensions of social capital and NEPHS projects. Also, the impact of SSC on NEPHS is always greater than that of CSC at the same level. (3) The effects of RCSC, RSSC, ICSC, and ISSC on NEPHS utilization by migrants are not moderated by sex. However, a high education could weaken the relationship between RCSC and health education, ISSC and health education, and RSSC and health records but strengthen the correlation between RSSC and health education.

Conclusion

Social capital plays an important role in the access of migrants to NEPHS. Governments should vigorously promote the construction of regional social capital, encourage migrants to actively participate in community activities, especially pay attention to the enhancement of the migrants with low SES to the destination identity.

How social capital helps communities weather the COVID-19 pandemic

Why have the effects of COVID-19 been so unevenly geographically distributed in the United States? This paper investigates the role of social capital as a mediating factor for the spread of the virus. Because social capital is associated with greater trust and relationships within a community, it could endow individuals with a greater concern for others, thereby leading to more hygienic practices and social distancing. Using data for over 2,700 US counties, we investigate how social capital explains the level and growth rate of infections. We find that moving a county from the 25th to the 75th percentile of the distribution of social capital would lead to a 18% and 5.7% decline in the cumulative number of infections and deaths, as well as suggestive evidence of a lower spread of the virus. Our results are robust to many demographic characteristics, controls, and alternative measures of social capital.

Social Capital Moderates the Relationship Between Stigma and Sexual Risk Among Male Sex Workers in the US Northeast

Stigma contributes to elevated HIV incidence among male sex workers (MSW). Social capital (i.e., resources accessed through one's social relationships) may act as a buffer between stigma and sexual risk behaviors and HIV acquisition. Using negative binomial regression, we examined the association between both sex work-related stigma and social capital with respect to number of condomless sex acts among 98 MSW living in the US Northeast. In models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, sex work-related stigma was associated with number of condomless sex acts with any non-paying partner (i.e., male and female) (aIRR = 1.25, p < 0.001) and male non-paying partners (aIRR = 1.27, p = 0.09) among individuals with low social capital, not among those with high social capital. Sex work-related stigma was not associated with number of condomless anal sex acts with male paying clients at any level of social capital. Future HIV prevention interventions should consider promoting social capital among MSW.