Social Capital: A Concept Analysis

Depression mediates the relationship between social capital and health-related quality of life among Chinese older adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

AIM

To explore the association between social capital and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to determine whether depression mediates the association among Chinese older adults in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

A descriptive cross-sectional research design.

METHODS

The Geriatric Depression Scale-15, Social Capital Questionnaire and 12-item Short-Form Health Survey were used to investigate 1201 older adults selected from Jinan, Shandong Province, China, using a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method.

RESULTS

Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between social capital and HRQoL (r = 0.269, p < 0.01). Multivariate linear regression analyses demonstrated that social capital was significantly negatively associated with depression (β = -0.072, p < 0.001) and that depression was associated with HRQoL (β = -1.031, p < 0.001). The mediation analyses showed that depression mediated the association between social capital and HRQoL, and the indirect effect size was 0.073 (95% confidence interval: 0.050, 0.100).

Association of social capital with self-perceived eHealth literacy among community-dwelling older people: Age and gender differences

Background

Studies have confirmed that social factors, including social capital and eHealth literacy, are important in later life. Currently, few studies are available for determining the relationship between social capital and eHealth literacy, and whether such a relationship exists among older people and there are age and gender differences in the relationship remain unclear. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the association between social capital and eHealth literacy, specifically examing its variations in age and gender.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 4,257 residents aged ≥ 60 years and dwelling in the community was conducted across four cities in China. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on general characteristics, socioeconomic status, social capital, and eHealth literacy. Generalized linear models were employed to assess these associations.

Results

There were 4,218 respondents (age 71.9 ± 7.2 years; 64.8% women). Overall, social participation, social connection, trust, cohesion, and reciprocity were all statistically associated with eHealth literacy (p < 0.05), while such an association was not observed for social support (p > 0.05). Specifically, a higher level of social participation was associated with better eHealth literacy scores among participants aged 70-79 years (p < 0.001), and a higher level of social connection was associated with better eHealth literacy scores for those aged 60-69 and 70-79 years (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, no gender differences in the associations were found.

Conclusion

There is an association between social capital and eHealth literacy in older men and women. The association varis with age. The findings provide a reference for developing targeted measures to improve self-perceived eHealth literacy among older people. It is essential for achieving active and healthy aging and developing the knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, and evidence within the field of health and social capital.

The association between personal social capital and health-related quality of life among Chinese older people: A cross-sectional study

Background

Lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) can result in adverse effects on the health of older people. This study aims to explore the relationship between personal social capital (PSC) and HRQoL among Chinese elderly people from rural-and-urban perspective.

Materials and methods

4,802 samples were included from China's health-related quality of life Survey for Older Adults 2018 (CHRQLS-OA 2018). The PSC, including bonding and bridging social capital (BOC and BRC), was measured by the Chinese version of the Personal Social Capital Scale (PSCS-16). The HRQoL was evaluated by the European Five Dimensions Questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L). Linear and Tobit regression models were conducted to examine the relationship between PSC and HRQoL.

Results

The BOC and BRC of rural older people were significantly lower than those of urban older people. Pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression were the most significant health problems affecting the older samples. In the five dimensions, the proportion of rural older people with problems was higher than that of urban older people. Among rural older people, BOC was significantly related to self-rated health and EQ-5D utility index (p < 0.05); while BRC was insignificantly associated with self-rated health (p > 0.05) but related to EQ-5D utility index (p < 0.05). Both BOC and BRC were significantly correlated with self-rated health and EQ-5D utility index (p < 0.05) among urban older people.

Conclusion

Our study reveals older people's worrying PSC and HRQoL status. The relationship between PSC and HRQoL suggested that more social support and care of intimates should be encouraged to increase the PSC of older people, especially rural older people.

Examining the Relationship of Family Social Capital and Use of Pediatric Primary Health Care Services in the 2016-19 National Survey of Children's Health

INTRODUCTION

This study examined the relationship of family social capital (FSC) and pediatric primary health care services (PHCU) among young children aged 0-5 years in the United States. FSC involves the interrelated contexts of child health and family characteristics. Understanding how this impacts PHCU may reveal important considerations for supporting access and use of essential health care services.

METHOD

Using data from the 2016-19 National Survey of Children's Health (weighted N = 21,496,634), we conducted descriptive statistics and logistic regression to ascertain the relationship between FSC and PHCU.

RESULTS

Statistically significant contributions included FSC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2; confidence interval [CI] = 1.08-1.40), high school (OR = 0.49; CI = 2.65-5.39), and some college (OR = 0.72; CI = 0.62-0.85) DISCUSSION: Findings support that FSC and parent academic achievement impact PHCU. Interventions that foster family connection and parent adult health literacy may enhance PHCU.

Loneliness and social isolation among the older person in a Swiss secure institution: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

A pandemic of loneliness is hitting the aging population. As COVID19 forced us to isolate ourselves, we are in a better position to understand consequences of social distancing. The recent literature showed that older incarcerated adults are particularly at risk of health-related complications due to isolation in the prison environment, reducing their social capital. Mental and physical health can be severely affected by loneliness and social isolation, especially in prison.

METHODS

Our qualitative study investigates the view of older persons deprieved of their liberty on loneliness and social isolation pertaining to their mental health. We interviewed 57 older participants, including imprisoned individuals and forensic patients, following a semi-structured interview guide. During the data management and data analysis process, we excluded 7 interviews which were of poorer quality. Thereafter, we analyzed the remainders following a thematic approach.

RESULTS

Most interviewees experience loneliness following lack of significant human relationships in prison. Making friends appears to be a challenge for all the participants, because, for one thing, they do not find people with similar interests. Also, secure institution setting aggravates isolation due to the restrictions of movement placed such as rules concerning movement between floors, hindering intimate relationship, and separation between friends. Moreover, contact with prison personnel is limited and lack social capital (e.g. trust).

CONCLUSION

To our knowledge, this study is one of the first to present incarcerated persons' perspective on loneliness, social isolation and poor social capital in the Swiss prison setting. These has been reported to cause health problems both somatic and psychological. Our participants experience these deleterious factors in detention. As prisons have the possibility to become a health-promoting environment through connectedness, friendship, and trust promotion, stakeholders need to better their social capital.

Correlations of external social capital in social organizations providing integrated eldercare services with medical care in China

Background

This study aimed to explore the external social capital of social organizations (SOs) providing integrated eldercare services with medical care in Anhui Province, China. Specifically, we studied the current situation and influencing factors of external social capital and its six dimensions.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in Anhui Province, China using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method. We employed Pearson correlation analysis and a binary logistic regression model.

Results

The final analysis included 49 SOs. Most organizations had a high score in norm dimension (81.6%), participation (61.2%), trust (65.3%), common language (65.3%), and social capital (63.3%). After adjusting for all covariate variables, integrated eldercare services with medical care SOs which served more than 65 elderly people were likely to report lower score in social capital.

Conclusions

By examining the current situation of integrated eldercare services with medical care SOs in China, this study enriched the relevant evidence of integrated medical and nursing SOs and provides a certain reference value for relevant management departments when formulating policies.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-022-07508-2.

Social Cohesion in Health: A Concept Analysis

The concept of social cohesion has been indicated to be a critical social determinant of health in recent literature. Inconsistencies surrounding the conceptualization and operationalization have made utilizing these findings to inform health intervention and policy difficult. The objective of this article is to provide a theoretical clarification of the concept "social cohesion," as it relates to health behaviors and outcomes by using the Rodgers' evolutionary method for concept analyses. This article uncovers the critical attributes, antecedents, and consequences of social cohesion and provides reflection on future use of social cohesion in health literature.

The lived experience of workplace reciprocity of emergency nurses in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S.: A descriptive phenomenological study

INTRODUCTION

Emergency nurses work under sometimes uncertain conditions to provide care to patients with all kinds of illnesses and afflictions from all segments of the population. Despite implications that they must work together to provide efficient and effective patient care, few studies explore reciprocal workplace relationships of emergency nurses.

AIM

This research sought to illuminate the lived experience of workplace reciprocity of emergency nurses.

METHODS

Using a phenomenological approach with snowball sampling technique, unstructured, open-ended interviews were conducted with emergency nurses in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The original study was conducted in 2013 (n = 9) and a replication study in 2018 (n = 7). Data were collected and analyzed using Giorgi's Phenomenological Method. Results from each study were evaluated for thematic congruence.

RESULTS

Six themes of workplace reciprocity of emergency nurses were identified for both studies: emergency department (ED) culture, balancing, technology, caring, bridging, and connection. An additional theme, bonding, was identified with the replication study.

CONCLUSIONS

Exploring workplace reciprocity of emergency nurses provided insight the influences on workplace relationships. Establishing and nurturing workplace reciprocity may create a culture of safety, connection, enhance work engagement, and influence nurse recruitment and retention.