The privileging of communitarian ideas: citation practices and the translation of social capital into public health research

Exploring the structure of relative age effects research using citation network analysis

Since the 1980s, research on relative age effects (RAEs) consistently shows that relatively older individuals are advantaged in sport and other contexts. With the recent proliferation of studies on RAEs, periodic knowledge synthesis becomes imperative. Our purpose was to conduct a cross-disciplinary citation network analysis of RAEs literature to enhance our knowledge of RAEs citation structures and the interconnectivity of RAEs studies. We analysed 484 RAEs articles found in Web of Science that were published before 2022. Descriptive results revealed a 12.6% annual growth rate for total RAEs articles published since 1980. The articles appeared in 151 journals, had 1,180 unique authors, and averaged 23.9 citations received. Three theoretical/review papers had the most substantial influence on the field. For the conceptual structure of the field, it was apparent that RAEs research focused mainly on sport performance, maturity, and competition. Regarding intellectual structure, three distinct clusters of articles were cited together, and 13 authorship clusters were detected with few between-cluster connections. The results describe a field with productivity but little interconnectivity among authors and papers. We offer insights into this trend and the role that influential authors/articles have in the field.

Using citation network analysis to enhance scholarship in psychological science: A case study of the human aggression literature

Researchers cannot keep up with the volume of articles being published each year. In order to develop adequate expertise in a given field of study, students and early career scientists must be strategic in what they decide to read. Here we propose using citation network analysis to characterize the literature topology of a given area. We used the human aggression literature as our example. Our citation network analysis identified 15 research communities on aggression. The five largest communities were: "media and video games", "stress, traits and aggression", "rumination and displaced aggression", "role of testosterone", and "social aggression". We examined the growth of these research communities over time, and we used graph theoretic approaches to identify the most influential papers within each community and the "bridging" articles that linked distinct communities to one another. Finally, we also examined whether our citation network analysis would help mitigate gender bias relative to focusing on total citation counts. The percentage of articles with women first authors doubled when identifying influential articles by community structure versus citation count. Our approach of characterizing literature topologies using citation network analysis may provide a valuable resource for psychological scientists by outlining research communities and their growth over time, identifying influential papers within each community (including bridging papers), and providing opportunities to increase gender equity in the field.

Individual and community social capital, mobility restrictions, and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multilevel analysis of a representative US survey

This paper explores the role of social capital in mitigating the mental health harms of social/mobility restrictions instigated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We test whether: (a) social capital continued to predict lower mental distress during the pandemic; and (b) whether social capital buffered (moderated) the harm of social/mobility restrictions on psychological distress. In addition, we test the level at which social capital mitigation effects operated, i.e., at the individual- and/or contextual-level. To do so, we apply multilevel models to three waves of the COVID-19 Household Impact Survey consisting of probability samples of U.S. adults (with the average interview completion rate of 93%). In a novel approach, we explore two modes of capturing contextual social capital: aggregated individual-level survey responses and independently measured social capital indices (SCIs). Findings show that at the individual level social capital was associated with lower psychological distress. It also buffered the harm of restrictions: increasing restrictions had a weaker effect on distress among individuals interacting with neighbors more frequently. Importantly, mitigating processes of contextual social capital appeared conditional on how it was measured. Using aggregated survey responses, contextual social capital had no direct effect on distress but exerted an additional buffering role: individuals in counties with higher average neighbor-interaction experienced a weaker impact of restrictions. Using the independent SCI measures, we found county social capital reduced distress. However, its negative effect on distress becomes increasingly weaker the more restrictions an individual reported: where individuals reported lower restrictions, higher county SCI reduced distress; however, where individuals reported higher restrictions, higher county SCI had no effect on distress. More restrictive environments thus cut individuals off from the benefits of higher county social capital as measured using the SCI.

Communication Hotspots: How Infrastructure Shapes People's Health

Informed by communication infrastructure theory (CIT) and the social capital approach to health, this study focused on the role played by communication hotspots: physical places in a community (e.g., parks, churches, or restaurants) where health information is shared between network actors. By analyzing survey data that included information about communication infrastructure, frequency of health conversations, as well as the size and diversity of respondents' social networks, this study illustrates how communication hotspots may reduce perceived barriers to healthcare among Latinas in the greater Los Angeles area (N = 780). The results suggest that communication hotspots can influence people's health by facilitating information-sharing activities. In addition, communication hotspots may reduce perceived barriers to healthcare by bringing together diverse network actors. We conclude by considering future health interventions and policy planning to leverage and enhance community members' interactions at communication hotspots.

Toward an institutional perspective on social capital health interventions: lay community health workers as social capital builders

This article argues that social capital health research should move beyond a mere focus on social cohesion and network perspectives to integrate an institutional approach into the development of social capital health interventions. An institutional perspective, which is unique in its emphasis on linking social capital in addition to the bonding and bridging forms, contextualises social capital, allowing researchers to confront the complexity of social relationships. This perspective allows for the construction of interventions that draw on the resources of diverse actors, particularly the state. One intervention strategy with the potential to create community linkages involves lay community health workers (LCHWs), individuals who are trained to perform a variety of health-related functions but lack a formal professional health education. This article begins with a review of the institutional social capital-building literature. It then goes on to briefly review the social capital and health literature and discuss the state of intervention research. Thereafter, it describes LCHWs and discusses studies that have utilised LCHWs to tackle community health problems. In doing so, this article presents an institutional-based systematic framework for how LCHWs can build social capital, including a discussion of the ways in which LCHWs can successfully promote bonding, bridging and linking social capital.

Diseases of Despair and Social Capital: Findings from a Population-Based Survey on Opioid Misuse among Adolescents

Deaths related to opioid overdose have increased substantially in the past few years, raising concerns about how to combat this public health emergency. Objectives: We investigated the association of family, school, and community social capital with opioid misuse in the adolescent population. In addition, we examined if adolescents' depressive symptoms have any mediating effects on opioid misuse. Methods: We used the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data, and two substantive models with binary logistic regressions. Three social capital variables were added to the full model with control for sociodemographic and health status variables. A mediation analysis was estimated for family and school social capital, major depressive episodes in the past year, and opioid misuse. Results: We found statistically significant relationships between adolescent opioid misuse and family and school social capital. Adolescents' odds of opioid misuse decreased 10% with each additional family situation where they felt supported. Not knowing students in their grade who drank alcohol or used marijuana/hashish decreased the odds of misusing opioids 42% (p < .01). Experience of depressive episodes acted as a mediator for the social capital effects on adolescents' opioid misuse. Conclusions: Our findings lend support that opioid misuse is associated with despair, and therefore, opioid prevention programs need to incorporate strategies to address mental health issues as well. Our findings also underscore the need for focusing on increasing parental awareness and involvement as well as scaling up prevention efforts in high schools where substance abuse is relatively higher.

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.

Socioeconomic Differences in Access to Neighborhood and Network Social Capital and Associations With Body Mass Index Among Black Americans

PURPOSE

To examine associations between socioeconomic status and two forms of social capital, namely, neighborhood and network measures, and how these distinct forms of capital are associated with body mass index (BMI) among Black residents of low-income communities.

DESIGN

Respondent-driven sampling was used to engage residents in a household survey to collect data on the respondents' personal network, perceptions about their neighborhood environment, and health.

SETTING

Eight special emphasis neighborhoods in Greenville, South Carolina.

PARTICIPANTS

N = 337 black/African American older adults, nearly half of whom have a household income of less than $15 000 and a high school education, were included.

MEASURES

Neighborhood capital was assessed via three scales on social cohesion, collective efficacy, and social support from neighbors. Network capital was calculated via a position generator, common in egocentric network surveys. Body mass index was calculated with self-reported height and weight.

ANALYSIS

Multilevel linear regression models were used to examine the association between neighborhood and network capital and obesity among respondents within sampling chains.

RESULTS

Higher household income was associated with greater neighborhood capital, whereas higher educational attainment was associated with greater network capital. Social cohesion was negatively associated with BMI (b = -1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.39 to -0.11); network diversity was positively associated with BMI (b = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.55).

CONCLUSION

The findings shed light on how social capital may be patterned by socioeconomic status and, further, how distinct forms of capital may be differentially associated with health among black Americans.

Social Networks and the Emergence of Health Inequalities Following a Medical Advance: Examining Prenatal H1N1 Vaccination Decisions

Health inequalities persist, in part, because people in socioeconomically advantageous positions possess resources to avoid new health risks when medicine advances. Although these health decisions rarely occur in isolation, we know less about the specific role of networks. We examine whether social capital mediates the relationship between individual educational attainment and decisions about a medical advance: H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy. Building on prior work that defines social capital as the resources of network members, we examine two mechanisms through which social capital may affect health decisions, facilitating information flow and exerting influence. Using egocentric network data collected from 225 pregnant women during the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic, we measure social capital as the proportion of networks that are college-educated H1N1 discussants (information flow) and the proportion of college-educated H1N1 supporters (influence). Findings reveal that college-educated women knew more college-educated H1N1 discussants and supporters. Further, both measures of social capital predicted higher probabilities of vaccination, with the latter mechanism emerging as a particularly strong predictor. Our findings provide evidence that health decisions are shaped by individual resources as well as social capital available through network ties, offering a unique perspective of the ways that social networks contribute to producing, and potentially reproducing, unequal health.

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

Studies on personal social capital and health have relied on several key measures of social capital - trust, participation, network capital - all with the aim of capturing the resources to which individuals or groups might have access through their social networks. As this work has evolved, researchers have sought to differentiate among key measures, often arguing that each represents a different type of social capital. Despite the importance of this work, few studies have examined (a) whether these measures are in fact distinct constructs, particularly over time, (b) if these relationships are causal, and (c) whether gender patterns the ways these measures are related. Using a probability-based sample of adults with 1-3 observations per respondent, we apply generalized structural equation modeling to assess in women and men separately whether generalized trust, trust in neighbors, network diversity, social isolation, and social participation are associated with each other, hypertension, and self-reported health over a five-year period. The initial response rate was 38.7%, with cooperation rates of 60.4% and 56.3% at waves two and three. Findings highlight stability in the longitudinal relationship of the same measure across waves. They also suggest that social capital measures operate differently for men and women, with key measures of one type of social capital more often associated with another type in women than men. Nevertheless, the strengths of the associations remain weak in women and men, particularly over time, suggesting that these measures (especially generalized trust) may be inadequate proxies for each other. Lastly, social capital seemed more salient for women's than men's health. Future research on social capital might consider more deeply the role and meaning of gender in interpreting the results of studies linking social capital to health. Further consideration of trust, participation, and network capital as distinct constructs is also warranted.

Social capital: Implications for neurology

Social capital (SC) is a broad term that encompasses the many resources derived from social connections. The contemporary study of SC in public health has deep roots in the related fields of sociology, economics, and politics. Its multidisciplinary nature and the varying potential ways it could affect individuals have resulted in different but overlapping models to approach SC in the health field. There are currently no standardized measures of SC, and even more challenging its impact on health outcomes seems to vary according to the level of analysis. Despite the accumulating evidence that supports a protective effect of SC on mental and physical health, and mortality, not enough attention has been paid to the potential drawbacks of SC. The role of SC in neurological disease is just beginning to be explored. Concerted efforts are needed to ensure that empirical evidence on SC could be properly translated into interventions for health-promoting purposes. In this paper, we review the current state of scientific knowledge on the subject of SC, with a focus on its application in the field of neurology.

Social network resources and self-rated health in a deprived Danish neighborhood

Research has demonstrated that living in a deprived neighborhood contributes to the occurrence and development of poor health. Furthermore evidence shows that social networks are fundamental resources in preventing poor mental health. Neighborhood relationships and networks are vital for sustaining and improving quality of life. However, to determine potentials for public health action, the health impact of various types of network resources need to be explored and the association between socioeconomic position and self-rated health needs to be analysed to determine whether it is partially explained by social network resources. This is the main aim of this article. Cross-sectional data from one deprived neighborhood located in Denmark were collected in 2008 and 2013 using a postal health survey. The target group was defined as adults older than 16 years. In 2008, 408 residents participated in the survey, and 405 residents participated in 2013. Our main explanatory variables were indicators of socioeconomic positions and social network resources. The analyses were conducted using univariate and bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regressions. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in respondents being involuntarily alone during the period from 2008 to 2013. An impact of the association between disposable income and self-rated health was found, showing that low income residents with a better social network also have slightly higher odds of having good self-rated health compared with residents with higher income. This investigation is the first Danish study that repeats a health survey in the same neighborhood to measure possible improvement in health among residents. More longitudinal research is needed in the future to explore the complex relationship between social network resources, social capital and health in neighborhoods.

The effect of group involvement on post-disaster mental health: A longitudinal multilevel analysis

Involvement in voluntary associations is a key form of social capital and plays an especially important role following disaster as a venue for coordination and decision-making for the wider community. Yet, relatively little attention has been paid to how group involvement affects mental health, at either the individual or community level. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of involvement in voluntary associations on mental health among residents of bushfire-affected communities. A longitudinal sample of 642 individuals affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires in south-eastern Australia were surveyed in 2012 and 2014 (3- and 5-years post-disaster). A further subsample (n = 552) of residents residing continuously within 22 bushfire-affected communities were examined for community-level effects using multilevel regression methods. After adjusting for demographics, disaster exposure, and network variables, group involvement at time 1 bore a curvilinear relationship with PTSD at both time points: moderate involvement was most beneficial, with no participation, or high amounts, yielding poorer outcomes. High amounts of group involvement was likewise linked to a greater risk of major depression. Furthermore, communities with higher median levels of group involvement reported lower levels of PTSD symptoms and major depression two years later. With respect to group involvement, more is not always better. For individuals, moderation - if possible - is key. Meanwhile, community-level health benefits come when most people participate to some extent, suggesting that the distribution of involvement across the community is important.

Evidence suggests a need to rethink social capital and social capital interventions

In the 21 years since social capital first appeared in the public health literature, the evidence base has grown enormously, now reaching 28 systematic reviews encompassing more than 850 individual studies. We summarise this evidence and explain why conclusions relating to both the relationship between social capital and health, and the effectiveness of interventions to promote population health remain elusive and contradictory. A critical factor is the inadequate way that context is treated in the research, and especially how context interacts with efforts to promote health in a dynamic fashion. Of all the different types of interventions one could employ to improve the health of the public, 'social capital' interventions are likely to be the most context specific and especially affected by the boundaries placed around the context. A way forward is offered that requires a combination of insights from systems thinking, community-based participatory research, and intervention and improvement sciences. This requires renewed focus on the specific components of social capital, an understanding of how context interacts dynamically with efforts to improve health, a greater role for practice in the design, implementation, adaptation and evaluation of interventions, and the support of researchers to develop better methods for recognising and classifying the knowledge generated by complex interventions.

The Potential Role of Social Capital in the Willingness to be a Deceased Organ Donor: A Case Study of UK Polish Migrants

BACKGROUND

In the United Kingdom, the demand for transplantable organs exceeds supply, leaving many patients on the active transplant waiting list with the majority on dialysis as the kidney is the most commonly transplanted organ. This is a marked issue across black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities. This article uses the Polish migrant community as a case study for making new theoretical insights into the willingness to become an organ donor in a host country using social capital theory.

METHODS

There were 31 participants who took part in interviews and small group discussions. Grounded theory methodology was used as the study explored the relationships between deceased organ donation, religion, and Mauss's gift-exchange theory and the notion of social capital arose as an emergent theme from the study.

RESULTS

Elements of social capital were explored with participants such as social networks, civil engagement, trust, and reciprocity. Polish social networks were found to be small and the formation of networks to be influenced by English language skills. Participants were willing to donate organs to others inside and outside of their social networks in the United Kingdom and wanted to help a patient in need and influenced by the overall migrant experience in the United Kingdom and whether they felt a sense of belonging. Overall, participants had mixed experiences and views about trust in the National Health Service.

CONCLUSIONS

Through a discussion of the results using a communitarian social capital, cognitive and structural social capital lens, and collective-action theory, it is concluded that an interplay of these social capital theories can reframe debates within organ donation such as reciprocity policies, the relevancy of altruism, and the role of migration experiences and networks in the willingness to donate organs posthumously in a host country.

[The meaning of "individual" social capital for diabetics receiving care in a Colombian city]

The aim of this study was to understand the meaning of social capital in relation to type 2 diabetes according to gender, within an urban setting in Colombia, based on a qualitative design for symbolic interactionism. Twenty-four women and 16 men with diabetes, family members, and healthcare personnel participated in six focus groups. A total of 850 codes emerged that comprised a set of 142 codes for ego, alter, and alter ego. Three categories and 20 subcategories were identified for the "coding paradigm design". The meaning differed between men and women. Social ties in social networks, created daily through trust and solidarity for care, were valued differently due to the social experiences and events resulting from self-confidence, self-efficacy for social support, and mainly self-esteem vis-à-vis management and control of the disease. An individual's social resources are reified for the management and care of the disease as a strategy to mitigate health inequalities.

On est ensemble: social capital and maternal health care use in rural Cameroon

Background

Every day approximately 1500 women worldwide die due to pregnancy or childbirth related complications. Maternal health care use is critical in reducing maternal mortality worldwide. Cameroon has one of the highest maternal mortality rates worldwide, but there is little knowledge about maternal health care use in Cameroon, particularly in more remote areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of social networks and social capital in maternal health care use in the Far-North province of Cameroon.

Methods

A sample of 110 Cameroonian women was recruited door-to-door in the urban town of Maroua and rural village of Moutourwa in the Far-North province in 2009. A maternal health questionnaire was administered to women between the ages of 18-45. The questionnaire assessed maternal health care history, social network, and social demographic characteristics. Social capital was measured in terms of the average educational level of women’s networks. Bivariate and multivariable poisson regression analysis was used to assess the number of maternal health care visits as a function of social network characteristics, education, ethnicity, age, and urban and rural residence.

Results

Among the 110 participants, 13 percent reported not having visited a health care provider during the last pregnancy – 19 percent of the women sampled in Moutourwa and 6 percent in Maroua. Findings showed that women with higher social capital had a greater tendency to use maternal health care services (IRR: 1.13; 95 % CI: 1.02-1.26). Social network size and social participation were not significant in full models. Ethnic characteristics were also shown associated with MHCU in the Far-North province.

Conclusion

Although the size of women’s health-related networks were not shown significant, the resources to which women might have access through their social networks were associated with women’s maternal health care use in remote areas of Cameroon. Although pregnancy may not be widely discussed in public, women’s social networks may provide key social resources, e.g., information or financial capital, that facilitate MHCU. Leveraging women’s social capital may provide a means to improve maternal health care use among women in low-income countries.

On est ensemble

Social capital and participation in the use of maternal health care services in remote areas of Cameroon

Social network analysis for program implementation

This paper introduces the use of social network analysis theory and tools for implementation research. The social network perspective is useful for understanding, monitoring, influencing, or evaluating the implementation process when programs, policies, practices, or principles are designed and scaled up or adapted to different settings. We briefly describe common barriers to implementation success and relate them to the social networks of implementation stakeholders. We introduce a few simple measures commonly used in social network analysis and discuss how these measures can be used in program implementation. Using the four stage model of program implementation (exploration, adoption, implementation, and sustainment) proposed by Aarons and colleagues [1] and our experience in developing multi-sector partnerships involving community leaders, organizations, practitioners, and researchers, we show how network measures can be used at each stage to monitor, intervene, and improve the implementation process. Examples are provided to illustrate these concepts. We conclude with expected benefits and challenges associated with this approach.

Working From the Inside Out

Mackay Whitsunday Safe Community (MWSC) was established in 2000 in response to high rates of injury observed in the region. MWSC assumed an ecological perspective, incorporating targeted safety promotion campaigns reinforced by supportive environments and policy. By involving the community in finding its own solutions, MWSC attempted to catalyze structural, social, and political changes that empowered the community and, ultimately, individuals within the community, to modify their environment and their behavior to reduce the risk of injury. A community network consisting of 118 members and an external support network of 50 members was established. A social network analysis conducted in 2000 and 2004 indicated that the network doubled its cohesiveness, thereby strengthening its ability to collaborate for mutual benefit. However, while MWSC was rich in social resources, human and financial resources were largely controlled by external agencies. The bridging and linking relationships that connected MWSC to its external support network were the social mechanism MWSC used to access the resources it required to run programs. These boundary-spanning relationships accessed an estimated 6.5 full-time equivalents of human resources and US$750,000 in 2004 that it used to deliver a suite of injury control and safety promotion activities, associated with a 33% reduction in injury deaths over the period 2002 to 2010. MWSC can only be understood in its ecological context. The productivity of MWSC was vulnerable to the changing policy priorities of external sponsoring agents and critically dependent on the advocacy skills of its leaders.

Social capital and health: implication for health promotion by lay citizens in Japan

A non-profit organization was formed in 2009 by lay citizens of Nagahama, Japan in response to a community-based genome-epidemiologic study, the ‘Nagahama Zero(0)-ji Prevention Cohort Project (N0PCP)’. This organization aims to promote health by taking advantage of citizens’ social networks. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion affirms the importance of creating supportive environments and coordinating social relationships. Supportive environments (infrastructure) and social relationships (resources) work together as aspects of social capital. This study sought to examine the association between self-rated health and social capital, at both individual and neighborhood levels, and to discuss suitable health promotion strategies for local circumstances.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2011, using a self-administered postal questionnaire. Social capital indicators included aspects of support in the environment (social support, neighborhood connectedness, informal social controls, neighborhood trust, general trust, and attachment to place) and social relationships (number of activities; participation in neighborhood activities; participation in recreational activities; and social leverage regarding physical health, mental health, and acquisition of health information). Neighborhood-level social capital was calculated as the percentage of individuals in a neighborhood in the ‘high social capital’ category. At the individual level, participation in recreational activities, high general trust, and discussion regarding mental health problems with family members were associated with self-rated health positively, whereas discussion of mental health problems with acquaintances had a negative correlation. At the neighborhood level, a highly supportive environment did not contribute to good health, whereas aggregated attachment to place had a positive correlation. There were no significant inter-regional health differences.

The results of this study suggest that health promotion activities should aim at promoting the formation of empathetic friendships through individual networks, based on bringing individuals who need support to compatible places. Attachment to place should be incorporated into activities as an important and effective tool.

Cohort Profile: The Montreal Neighbourhood Networks and Healthy Aging (MoNNET-HA) study

The Montreal Neighbourhood Networks and Healthy Aging study was established: (i) to assess the added value in using formal network methods and instruments to measure social capital and its relationship to health; (ii) to determine whether older adults are more vulnerable to the effects of network and neighbourhood environments; and (iii) to examine longitudinally the relationship between social capital and health among adults in Montreal, Canada. The MoNNET-HA cohort consists of men and women aged 25 years and older, residing in the Montreal Metropolitan Area (MMA). Participants were recruited using a random stratified cluster sampling design with oversampling of adults older than 65 years. Initial MoNNET-HA study participants (n = 2707) were recruited for telephone interviews in the summer of 2008. Since 2008, participants were interviewed in the autumn of 2010 and the winter of 2013/2014. Data currently fall into five categories: (i) social network and social capital; (ii) psychosocial and psychological; (ii) socio-demographic and socioeconomic; (iv) health behaviours and conditions; and (v) neighbourhood environmental characteristics. Healthcare utilization data will be available for a subsample of participants. Upon funding, future work will measure anthropometric and metabolic health directly. Based on agreements with participants, external researchers should request access to data via collaborations with the study group.

Social cohesion, social participation, and HIV related risk among female sex workers in Swaziland

Social capital is important to disadvantaged groups, such as sex workers, as a means of facilitating internal group-related mutual aid and support as well as access to broader social and material resources. Studies among sex workers have linked higher social capital with protective HIV-related behaviors; however, few studies have examined social capital among sex workers in sub-Saharan Africa. This cross-sectional study examined relationships between two key social capital constructs, social cohesion among sex workers and social participation of sex workers in the larger community, and HIV-related risk in Swaziland using respondent-driven sampling. Relationships between social cohesion, social participation, and HIV-related risk factors were assessed using logistic regression. HIV prevalence among the sample was 70.4% (223/317). Social cohesion was associated with consistent condom use in the past week (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]  = 2.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30–3.90) and was associated with fewer reports of social discrimination, including denial of police protection. Social participation was associated with HIV testing (AOR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.36–4.03) and using condoms with non-paying partners (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.13–3.51), and was inversely associated with reported verbal or physical harassment as a result of selling sex (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.33–0.91). Both social capital constructs were significantly associated with collective action, which involved participating in meetings to promote sex worker rights or attending HIV-related meetings/ talks with other sex workers. Social- and structural-level interventions focused on building social cohesion and social participation among sex workers could provide significant protection from HIV infection for female sex workers in Swaziland.

Multilevel, cross-sectional study on social capital with psychogeriatric health among older Japanese people dwelling in rural areas

AIM

There has been increasing interest in the effect of social capital (SC) on health over the last decade both in Japan and internationally. This study elucidated whether components of SC are linked to the psychogeriatric health of older Japanese individuals.

METHOD

Data for 169 eligible older people living in three rural areas were collected. Multilevel analyses were performed to examine associations between general trust, informal social interaction and formal group participation with self-rated health, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), self-rated depression scale (SDS) and general self-efficacy scale (GSES).

RESULTS

Our study revealed that MMSE, SDS and GSES were significantly associated with informal social interaction and formal group participation after adjusting for area-level SC. However, we observed no relationship between general trust and health outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the strategic enhancement of social cohesion and social networks for older people may promote their health and quality of later life.

Social capital and disaster preparedness among low income Mexican Americans in a disaster prone area

Examination of social capital and its relationship to disaster preparedness has grown in prominence partially due to world-wide need to effectively respond to terrorist attacks, viral epidemics, or natural disasters. Recent studies suggested that social capital may be related to a community's ability to plan for and respond to such disasters. Few studies, however, have examined social capital constructs among low income populations living in disaster prone areas and accounted for the influence of social capital at the individual and community level. We examined social capital as measured by perceived fairness, perceived civic trust, perceived reciprocity and group membership. We undertook a multistage random cluster survey in three coastal counties in Texas (U.S.) noted for their high levels of poverty. Individuals from 3088 households provided data on social capital, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and self-reported level of preparedness for a hurricane. We used multivariable logistic regression to test potential associations between social capital measures and disaster preparedness. After adjusting for age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, education, employment, household income, acculturation, self-reported health, special needs persons in household, household size, and distance to the shore we found a higher prevalence of preparedness among individuals who reported the highest perception of fairness [AOR = 3.12, 95% CI: (1.86, 5.21)] compared to those individuals who reported lowest perceptions of fairness. We also found a higher prevalence of preparedness [AOR = 2.06; 95% CI: (1.17, 3.62)] among individuals who reported highest perceptions of trust compared to individuals who reported lowest perceptions of trust. Perceived reciprocity and group membership were not associated with preparedness. These results extend previous findings on social capital and disaster preparedness and further characterize social capital's presence among a low income population living in a hurricane prone area.

Social capital and health in the least developed countries: a critical review of the literature and implications for a future research agenda

Research on the linkage between social capital and health has grown in recent years; however, there is a dearth of evidence from resource-poor countries. This review examines the association between social capital and physical health (including health behaviours) in the least developed countries (LDCs). Citations were searched using three databases from 1990 to 2011 using the keyword 'social capital' combined with the name of each of the 48 LDCs. Of the 14 studies reviewed, 12 took place in Africa and 2 in South Asia. All used cross-sectional study designs, including five qualitative and nine quantitative studies. The literature reviewed suggests that social capital is an important factor for improving health in resource-poor settings; however, more research is needed in order to determine the best measures for social capital and elucidate the mechanisms through which social capital affects health in the developing world. Future research on social capital and health in the developing world should focus on applying appropriate theoretical conceptualisations of social capital to the developing country context, adapting and validating instruments for measuring social capital, and examining multilevel models of social capital and health in developing countries.

Measuring the sustainability of a community safety promotion network: working from the inside out

Mackay Whitsunday Safe Communities (MWSC) was developed using a capacity building model that consciously attempted to design sustainability into the network. Our aim was to quantify the flow of resources used by MWSC to implement and sustain its injury control activities. Resource exchange among network members was quantified and analysed using social network analysis. In 2004, MWSC accessed an estimated 6.5 full-time staff equivalents and $0.9 million. However, these resources were largely accessed externally. The linking relationships that connected MWSC to its external support network, more than half of which were maintained by six broker network facilitators, were the critical social asset used to access resources and sustain network productivity. The sustainability of this network and arguably similar safety promotion networks is vulnerable to the changing priorities of external sponsoring agents and highly dependent on its leaders who facilitated access to the resources it required to remain productive.

Network interventions

The term "network interventions" describes the process of using social network data to accelerate behavior change or improve organizational performance. In this Review, four strategies for network interventions are described, each of which has multiple tactical alternatives. Many of these tactics can incorporate different mathematical algorithms. Consequently, researchers have many intervention choices at their disposal. Selecting the appropriate network intervention depends on the availability and character of network data, perceived characteristics of the behavior, its existing prevalence, and the social context of the program.

Social Capital and Human Mortality: Explaining the Rural Paradox with County-Level Mortality Data

The "rural paradox" refers to standardized mortality rates in rural areas that are unexpectedly low in view of well-known economic and infrastructural disadvantages there. We explore this paradox by incorporating social capital, a promising explanatory factor that has seldom been incorporated into residential mortality research. We do so while being attentive to spatial dependence, a statistical problem often ignored in mortality research. Analyzing data for counties in the contiguous United States, we find that: (1) the rural paradox is confirmed with both metro/non-metro and rural-urban continuum codes, (2) social capital significantly reduces the impacts of residence on mortality after controlling for race/ethnicity and socioeconomic covariates, (3) this attenuation is greater when a spatial perspective is imposed on the analysis, (4) social capital is negatively associated with mortality at the county level, and (5) spatial dependence is strongly in evidence. A spatial approach is necessary in county-level analyses such as ours to yield unbiased estimates and optimal model fit.

Mapping the multidisciplinary field of public health services and systems research

CONTEXT

Public health services and systems research (PHSSR) is the field of study charged with evaluating the public health system. PHSSR currently lacks a clear identity integrating the many theories, approaches, and disciplines contributing to the field.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

Experts in PHSSR were consulted to identify 11 key published PHSSR studies. With these articles as a starting point, a newly developed citation data collection system was used to collect a sample of 2986 documents connected to the key articles through citation linkages. Data were collected in October 2009.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Citation network methods and latent position cluster modeling were used to examine the network of documents. A subset of 108 documents comprising the backbone of the network was identified through main-path analysis. Four unique clusters were identified within the main path. The core cluster consisted of older articles focused on local health department activities, partnerships, and effectiveness. The three non-core clusters focused on public health law, behavioral interventions, and national performance standards. Although all non-core clusters cited the core, there was little crosstalk among the non-core clusters, a pattern consistent with multidisciplinary fields.

CONCLUSIONS

PHSSR appears to be a multidisciplinary field with research happening in silos across different research areas. Developing transdisciplinary research connections across PHSSR is necessary to meet national PHSSR goals.

Social capital and core network ties: a validation study of individual-level social capital measures and their association with extra- and intra-neighborhood ties, and self-rated health

Research on social capital and health has assumed that measures of trust, participation, and perceived cohesion capture aspects of people's neighborhood social connections. This study uses data on the personal networks of 2707 Montreal adults in 300 different neighborhoods to examine the association of socio-demographic and social capital variables with the likelihood of having core ties, core neighborhood ties, and high self-rated health (SRH). Persons with higher household income were more likely to have core ties, but less likely to have core neighborhood ties. Persons with greater diversity in extra-neighborhood network capital were more likely to have core ties, and persons with greater diversity in intra-neighborhood network capital were more likely to have core neighborhood ties. Generalized trust, perceived neighborhood cohesion, and extra-neighborhood network diversity were shown associated with high SRH. Conventional measures of social capital may not capture network mechanisms. Findings suggest a critical appraisal of the mechanisms linking social capital and health, and the further delineation of network and psychosocial mechanisms in understanding these links.

Connecting discovery and delivery: the need for more evidence on effective smoking cessation strategies for people living with HIV/AIDS

Smoking prevalence among the 1.1 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS is 2 to 3 times higher than the 19.8% rate among the general population. Since 1990, scientists have worked toward the discovery of health risks related to smoking in people living with HIV/AIDS; however, few studies have evaluated the delivery of smoking cessation interventions for this population. Increasing linkages between discovery science and delivery science may facilitate a faster transition to delivery of smoking cessation interventions for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Slow to share: social capital and its role in public HIV disclosure among public sector ART patients in the Free State province of South Africa

HIV serostatus disclosure to community members has been shown to have potential public and personal health benefits. This study examined the impact of bonding and bridging social capital (i.e. close and distant ties) on public disclosure and described the complex relationship between bonding and bridging social capital in the context of serostatus disclosure among AIDS patients enrolled in South Africa's public sector antiretroviral treatment (ART) program. Data were collected from a cohort of patients enrolled in the public sector ART program in the Free State province of South Africa. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with a random sample of 268 patients at three points in time (<6 months of ART, 6-12 months of ART, and 18-24 of months ART). The relationship between bonding and bridging social capital and the impact of different forms of social capital on public disclosure were determined using a fully cross-lagged regression model. The impact of bonding social capital (treatment and emotional buddy) on public disclosure was positive and invariant across time. The results from the cross-lagged regression indicated that bridging social capital (community health worker and support group) only encouraged public disclosure in the second year of treatment. At the start of treatment, bivariate analysis showed a strong negative association between bonding and bridging social capital, which diminished at follow-up and eventually disappeared in the second year of treatment. This study identified bonding social capital as a leverage to maximize potential benefits and minimize potential risks in order to shift the balance toward consistent public disclosure. Furthermore, the importance of bridging social capital initiatives is demonstrated, especially for the most vulnerable patients, those who cannot capitalize their bonding social capital by disclosing their HIV serostatus to family and friends at the start of treatment.

Forty years of secondhand smoke research: the gap between discovery and delivery

CONTEXT

Public health initiatives often focus on the discovery of risk factors associated with disease and death. Although this is an important step in protecting public health, recently the field has recognized that it is critical to move along the continuum from discovery of risk factors to delivery of interventions, and to improve the quality and speed of translating scientific discoveries into practice.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

To understand how public health problems move from discovery to delivery, citation network analysis was used to examine 1877 articles on secondhand smoke (SHS) published between 1965 and 2005. Data were collected and analyzed in 2006-2007.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Citation patterns showed discovery and delivery to be distinct areas of SHS research. There was little cross-citation between discovery and delivery research, including only nine citation connections between the main paths. A discovery article was 83.5% less likely to cite a delivery article than to cite another discovery article (OR=0.165 [95% CI=0.139, 0.197]), and a delivery article was 64.3% less likely (OR=0.357 [95% CI=0.330, 0.386]) to cite a discovery article than to cite another delivery article. Research summaries, such as Surgeon General reports, were cited frequently and appear to bridge the discovery-delivery gap.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a lack of cross-citation between discovery and delivery, even though they share the goal of understanding and reducing the impact of SHS. Reliance on research summaries, although they provide an important bridge between discovery and delivery, may slow the development of a field.

Not all social capital is good capital

Limited empirical research on social capital has investigated the potential downside of social capital on health and well-being. We hypothesized that social capital and mastery might vary according to education with lower-educated persons experiencing fewer advantages. This study used a stratified cluster design to recruit a volunteer sample of 332 adult residents from 7 metropolitan census tracts. The survey included a position generator to collect social capital network data. Generalized estimating equations were used to account for the clustering of respondents in census tracts. Results indicated a differential association between individual social capital and mastery according to educational attainment. Among persons with a high school degree or more, higher social capital was associated with a higher sense of mastery; among less-educated persons, higher individual social capital was associated with lower mastery. Differences in the pathways by which lower- and upper-educated groups access social capital may play a role in social capital's negative association with psychological well-being.

Association of individual network social capital with abdominal adiposity, overweight and obesity

BACKGROUND

Limited research has examined the association of individual trust, participation and social capital with obesity using objective measures of waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI) and network measures of social capital.

METHODS

Data were obtained from a representative sample of Montreal residents. Participants completed questionnaires that included a position generator for collecting network social capital data. Measures of WC, height and weight were collected by registered nurses. To estimate associations with cardiometabolic risk, data on WC for individuals with BMI between 18.5 and 34.9 were extracted for analysis (n = 291). Using a proportional odds model with clustered robust standard errors, we evaluated the association of three different measures of individual social capital with elevated and substantially elevated WC and overweight and obesity categories of BMI. These measures were then evaluated in their associations with elevated WC and BMI, adjusting for socio-demographic and behavioral covariates.

RESULTS

Network social capital was inversely associated with the likelihood of being in an elevated WC risk category (odds ratio (OR) = 0.81, 95% confidence intervals (CI: 0.69, 0.96) and higher BMI category (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.92).

CONCLUSION

Higher individual network social capital is associated with a lower likelihood of elevated WC risk and overweight and obesity.

Social capital and health care access: a systematic review

There is a growing interest in community-level characteristics such as social capital and its relationship to health care access. To assess the rigor with which this construct has been empirically applied in research on health care access, a systematic review was conducted. A total of 2,396 abstracts were reviewed, and 21 met the criteria of examining some measure of social capital and its effects on health care access. The review found a lack of congruence in how social capital was measured and interpreted and a general inconsistency in findings, which made it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the effects of social capital on health care access. Insights from the social network literature can help improve the conceptual and measurement problems. Future work should distinguish among bonding, bridging, and linking social capital and their sources and benefits, and examine whether three dimensions of social capital actually exist: cognitive, behavioral, and structural.

Social Capital and Resilience: A Review of Concepts and Selected Literature Relevant to Aboriginal Youth Resilience Research

Social capital, as an asset or a resource for resilience, can be a characteristic of the community or the individual. As an individual asset, social capital consists of a person's relationships to available social resources. As a characteristic of communities, it consists of attributes such as trust, reciprocity, collective action, and participation. Closely related to community social capital is the concept of collective efficacy. Some social networks, however, can be violent, repressive, bigoted, or otherwise destructive.Resilience is also a characteristic of both individuals and communities. This means that the relationship between social capital and resilience is four-dimensional. In discussing each of these dimensions, we highlight the ability of resilience research to link evidence on community social capital with individual data and the recognition that individuals can be resilient even if the communities they live in have low or even negative social capital.Recommendations for future research include greater attention to the social capital potential of Aboriginal spirituality, more comparison of urban-rural differences in social capital, and a better understanding of the factors that underlie Aboriginal youth resilience where social capital is defective.