Abstract
Objectives
We examined the longitudinal associations of social capital on self-rated health and differences by race/ethnicity in older adults.
Methods
We used Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of US adults aged ≥ 50 years evaluated every 2 years (2006–2014) (N = 18,859). We investigated the relationship between social capital indicators (neighborhood social cohesion/physical disorder, positive/negative social support) with self-rated health accounting for age, gender, education and stratified by race/ethnicity. We used structural equation multilevel modeling estimating the associations: within-wave and between-persons.
Results
We observed between-persons-level associations among social capital indicators and self-rated health. Individuals with overall levels of positive social support and neighborhood social cohesion tended to have overall better self-rated health [correlations 0.21 (p < 0.01) and 0.29 (p < 0.01), respectively]. For Hispanics, the correlations with self-rated health were lower for neighborhood social cohesion (0.19) and negative social support (− 0.09), compared to Whites (0.29 and − 0.20). African-Americans showed lower correlations of positive social support (0.14) compared to Whites (0.21) and Hispanics (0.28).
Conclusions
Interventions targeting social capital are in need, specifically those reinforcing positive social support and neighborhood social cohesion and diminishing neighborhood physical disorder and negative social support of older adults.
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Funding
This publication was made possible with support from the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health award number [K01MH111374] (PI, Yusuf Ransome). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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Appendix
Appendix
Confidence interval estimation of parameters relating social capital indicators with health status, stratified by race.
Race | Parameter | Neighborhood social cohesion | Neighborhood physical disorder | Negative social support | Positive social support | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Estimate (SE) | 95% CI | Estimate (SE) | 95% CI | Estimate (SE) | 95% CI | Estimate (SE) | 95% CI | ||
White | B (level 1) | 0.00 (0.00) | − 0.01; 0.01 | 0.01 (0.01) | 0.00; 0.02 | − 0.11 (0.05) | − 0.22; − 0.01 | 0.02 (0.05) | − 0.07; 0.11 |
corr (level 2) | 0.29 (0.02) | 0.25; 0.32 | − 0.25 (0.02) | − 0.28; − 0.22 | − 0.20 (0.02) | − 0.24; − 0.17 | 0.21 (0.02) | 0.17; 0.24 | |
Hispanic | B (level 1) | 0.01 (0.01) | − 0.01; 0.02 | 0.01 (0.01) | − 0.01; 0.04 | − 0.12 (0.11) | − 0.34; 0.10 | − 0.02 (0.08) | − 0.18; 0.15 |
corr (level 2) | 0.20 (0.07) | 0.06; 0.33 | − 0.25 (0.08) | − 0.41; − 0.09 | − 0.09 (0.07) | − 0.24; 0.05 | 0.28 (0.06) | 0.16; 0.39 | |
African-Americans | B (level 1) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.00; 0.01 | − 0.02 (0.01) | − 0.03; 0.00 | − 0.22 (0.05) | − 0.31; − 0.13 | 0.24 (0.06) | 0.12; 0.35 |
corr (level 2) | 0.39 (0.07) | 0.26; 0.53 | − 0.33 (0.07) | − 0.47; − 0.19 | − 0.19 (0.04) | − 0.27; − 0.10 | 0.14 (0.07) | 0.02; 0.27 | |
Questions used to collect the social capital information.
Neighborhood social cohesion: I really feel part of this area, If you were in trouble, there are lots of people in this area who would help you, Most people in this area can be trusted, and Most people in this area are friendly.
Neighborhood Physical Disorder: People would be afraid to walk alone in this area after dark, Vandalism and graffiti are a big problem in this area, This area is always full of rubbish and litter, There are many vacant or deserted houses or storefronts in this area.
Positive Social Support: How much do they really understand the way you feel about things? How much can you rely on them if you have a serious problem? How much can you open up to them if you need to talk about your worries?
Negative Social Support: How often do they make too many demands on you? How much do they criticize you? How much do they let you down when you are counting on them?
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Villalonga-Olives, E., Almansa, J., Knott, C.L. et al. Social capital and health status: longitudinal race and ethnicity differences in older adults from 2006 to 2014. Int J Public Health 65, 291–302 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01341-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-020-01341-2