Social capital in the creation of cultural capital: Family structure, neighborhood cohesion, and extracurricular participation

Couple relationship functioning and social adjustment during the transition to parenthood among fathers with a history of maltreatment

Study of fathers has gained significant traction over recent decades. However, the experience for men over the transition to parenthood remains focused on high-socioeconomic and socially advantaged fathers. Researchers have yet to thoroughly investigate how fathers may uniquely experience this transition period with a history of childhood maltreatment, given that childhood abuse is known to impact several components of development and relationship functioning into adulthood. The current study endeavored to fill this gap by evaluating the associations between fathers' childhood experiences of physical and emotional abuse and their relationship functioning over the transition to parenthood in terms of both the couple relationship and social adjustment in relationships with others. Using data from 399 fathers who participated in a randomized control trial during pregnancy, the results from stepwise regressions indicate fathers with a history of emotional abuse experience particular declines in their external relationships (reductions in social support and increases in social stress) from prenatal (Wave 1) to postpartum (Wave 2) reports. However, no significant association emerged between fathers' history of maltreatment and their relationship functioning with their partners. These results underscore the importance of investigating the impact of different types of abuse on men in fatherhood. Moreover, we emphasize the need to study further fathers' social adjustment over the transition to parenthood beyond the couple relationship and broad social support to address the needs of men with a history of maltreatment in their new role as fathers.

Extracurricular Activities, Child and Caregiver Mental Health, and Parental Aggravation-A National Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

Expanding access to extracurricular activities (EA) may help address the growing mental health needs of children and caregivers. Evidence supports that EA may benefit child mental health, but few studies explore whether this association is influenced by child and EA factors. Further, the impact of EA on caregivers remains unknown.

METHODS

We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2019 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), a nationally representative sample of children and their caregivers. We used responses from caregivers of children aged 6 to 17. Weighted logistic regressions tested associations between EA and 1) child anxiety and/or depression diagnosis, 2) caregiver mental health, and 3) parental aggravation, controlling for child, family, and neighborhood-level covariates. Interaction terms tested whether associations were moderated by child age, sex, and presence of physical, developmental, or behavioral condition. Subanalyses explored whether results varied by EA number and type.

RESULTS

Weighted sample included 21,259 children. There were disparities in which children were engaged in EA. EA participation was associated with lower odds of a 1) child being diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression; 2) caregiver reporting "fair/poor" mental health, and 3) caregiver reporting "usually/always" experiencing parental aggravation. Child age, sex, EA number and type, but not health condition, influenced the relationship between EA and child anxiety and/or depression diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Access to EA is associated with child mental health and family functioning. Further studies should assess causality and specific mechanisms of action.

Cultural talk or cultural walk? Highbrow tastes and network quality

Although research shows that highbrow tastes correlate positively with network quality, we know little about why. We hypothesize that individuals need to manifest their highbrow tastes socially, for example via conversations about, or shared participation in, highbrow culture with network ties, for these tastes to enhance network quality and stability. To address this hypothesis empirically, we collected panel data in the Netherlands with information on individuals' highbrow tastes, social manifestations of these tastes (highbrow talk and shared participation in highbrow activities with ties), and networks. We find that (a) highbrow tastes are positively associated with network quality and stability; (b) highbrow talk (but not shared participation) mediates part of this association; and (c) highbrow tastes and talk are positively associated with the quality of new and continued ties. Our results support the idea that social manifestations of highbrow tastes explain why highbrow tastes enhance network quality and stability.

Adverse childhood experiences, adult anxiety and social capital among women in rural Kenya

Hundreds of millions of people suffer anxiety disorders globally, demonstrating need for scalable and effective interventions. Adverse childhood experiences contribute to this mental health burden. The stress-buffering hypothesis, which posits social factors moderate prior adversity and subsequent mental health outcomes, provides one theoretical avenue to consider observations that group-based microfinance programs improve social capital. We investigate associations between adverse childhood experiences, generalized anxiety among adults and social capital associated with participation in a group-based microfinance program in rural Kenya. Adult participants (n = 400 women) responded to standardized measures of childhood adversity in June 2018, group-affiliated social capital and generalized anxiety in June 2019. Cumulative adverse childhood experiences predicted higher anxiety, which was statistically moderated by the presence of group-affiliated interpersonal trust. This study is the first to find social capital associated with participation in a group-based microfinance program statistically moderates expected associations between adverse childhood experiences and adult generalized anxiety. Future study should be conducted using a cluster-randomized control design to further assess the potential of this intervention method to ameliorate associations between past adversity and current mental health.

Study on the influence of family capital on Chinese adolescents’ subjective well-being

Subjective well-being (SWB) is an important part of positive psychology research. Compared with other countries and regions, Chinese adolescents’ well-being level is relatively lower. Under the guidance of ecological systems theory, this study is based on the survey data of PISA 2018, with 10,805 middle school students from four provinces and cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) as the research samples, and examines the theoretical model of the influence of family capital on adolescents’ subjective well-being by means of structural equation modeling, in which the effects of family capital, school climate and academic achievement on adolescents’ subjective well-being are discussed. The empirical results show that family capital directly and indirectly negatively influences adolescents’ subjective well-being through academic achievements, and indirectly positively influences adolescents’ subjective well-being through school climate. School climate directly positively affects adolescents’ subjective well-being and indirectly negatively influences adolescents’ subjective well-being through their academic achievement. Academic achievement negatively affects adolescents’ subjective well-being. The research results strongly support the correctness of the theoretical framework, indicating the complexity of the formation of adolescents’ subjective well-being.

Association between social capital and depression among older adults of different genders: Evidence from Hangzhou, China

In China, it is critical to help older adults cope with depression due to the emerging impacts of factors such as increased life expectancy and the "one-child" family planning policy. Meanwhile, differences in retirement age have different effects on health in older adults of different gender. The relationship of gender differences in social capital and depression across the elderly population was unclear. Focusing on this demographic, this study conducted a telephone survey to explore the relationship between social capital and depression. Referring to electronic medical records, we randomly selected 1,042 elderly respondents (426 men, 616 women) from four areas in Hangzhou. We used social capital measurements and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) to assess social capital and depression, respectively, then employed a multivariate logistic regression and structural equation modeling to examine the associations between factors, along with a consideration of gender. This study was discovered that differences in both income and morbidity contributed to differences in social capital and depression. In our sample of elderly respondents, we also found gender-based differences in cognitive and structural social capital. Compared to men, women were more likely to attain higher social capital and less likely to develop depression. At the same time, social networking and social engagement had negative impacts on depression in women, which was not the case for men. We found that lower reciprocity (men and women), social work (men), and trust (women) indicated higher risks of depression. Reciprocity and social networks were significantly and negatively correlated with depression among male respondents; in the male model, factors of trust, reciprocity, and social participation had positive effects on reducing the risk of depression, while social networks had a negative effect. For elderly persons, these findings suggest that mental health is affected by differences in social capital caused by policy differences and cultural differences caused by gender differences.

On the Future(s) of Energy Communities in the German Energy Transition: A Derivation of Transformation Pathways

Active participation of citizens in the sustainable energy transition—particularly in energy communities—is explicitly desired by the European Union and considered vital for a successful transformation of Europe’s energy system. Currently, energy communities, i.e., citizen-led groups generating energy from renewable sources can be found across Europe, though current numbers are small. However, it is expected that the majority of EU households will be active in some form in the generation of energy by 2050. In order to understand how such a development could come about, and if desired, how it could be ensured, we developed and applied a quasi-dynamic model using the Cross-Impact Balance (CIB) approach and with it analyzed and assessed such a transition in detail. Data for the CIB model was derived from case studies, interviews, three surveys including two discrete choice experiments, expert workshops, and complementary secondary data. A central consideration of the model is a differentiated representation of the heterogeneity of actors in society and their interactions. Main results obtained from the application of the model are possible transformation pathways of citizen participation in the energy transition of Germany. A key finding was that if current trends continue, a citizen-driven energy transition based on energy communities will unlikely be successful. We conclude that several framework conditions must change simultaneously from the status quo so that different social groups in society can be active in the generation of energy. These include changes such as the abolition of hindering regulations and the expansion of financial support schemes with a focus on lower socioeconomic groups. Furthermore, only in a combination of conducive social factors such as neighborhood cohesion and conducive social influence, as well as favorable economic conditions, can energy communities become an important player in Germany’s future energy system.

After the bell: adolescents' organised leisure-time activities and well-being in the context of social and socioeconomic inequalities

BACKGROUND

Previous research has linked adolescents' participation in organised leisure-time activities (OLTAs) to better health and well-being. It remains unclear whether these associations can be observed consistently across social and socioeconomic strata and countries.

METHODS

The present study used nine nationally representative samples of adolescents aged 11, 13 and 15 years (total n=55 429) from the 2017/2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey from Europe and Canada. Regression models with mixed effects to account for nested nature of data were applied to estimate: (1) the associations of social and socioeconomic factors with OLTA participation; (2) strengths of the associations between breadth and pattern of OLTA participation with health and well-being indicators, after adjustment for the social and socioeconomic factors.

RESULTS

Rates of OLTA participation varied by age, sex and country of adolescents. Participants from lower socioeconomic classes and non-nuclear families were less likely to participate in OLTAs across each of the nine countries. Moreover, breadth of OLTA participation was associated with higher well-being independent of socioeconomic status or family structure. All of the participation patterns were associated with higher life satisfaction, but sports (either alone or in combination with a non-sport OLTA) were also associated with fewer psychological complaints and excellent self-rated health.

CONCLUSION

Adolescents' engagement in OLTAs was associated with adolescents' subjective well-being regardless of country, age, sex and variance in social and socioeconomic factors. Policies aimed at increasing adolescents' subjective well-being and OLTA participation should focus on adolescents from low socioeconomic classes and non-nuclear families.