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International Journal of Public Health
Published in: International Journal of Public Health 6/2010

01-12-2010 | Original Article

Social capital as a determinant of self-rated health and psychological well-being

Authors: Tarja Nieminen, Tuija Martelin, Seppo Koskinen, Hillevi Aro, Erkki Alanen, Markku T. Hyyppä

Published in: International Journal of Public Health | Issue 6/2010

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Abstract

Objective

To examine whether specific dimensions of social capital are related to self-rated health and psychological well-being.

Methods

Cross-sectional data from a health survey representing the adult Finnish population (N = 8,028) were used. Logistic regression analysis was used to reveal and quantify the possible associations between three dimensions of social capital (social support; social participation and networks; trust and reciprocity) and two general health indicators (self-rated health and psychological well-being). The roles of age, gender, education, living arrangements, income, type of region, functional capacity, and long-standing illness were also assessed.

Results

Good self-rated health was associated with high levels of social participation and networks and trust and reciprocity, but social support did not remain statistically significant after adjustment for socio-demographic factors, long-standing illness, and functional capacity. The association between social support and psychological well-being was explained by the other two dimensions of social capital. The strong positive association between trust and psychological well-being persisted after controlling for all the other factors in our model.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that trust and reciprocity and social participation and networks contribute to good self-rated health and psychological well-being.
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Metadata
Title
Social capital as a determinant of self-rated health and psychological well-being
Authors
Tarja Nieminen
Tuija Martelin
Seppo Koskinen
Hillevi Aro
Erkki Alanen
Markku T. Hyyppä
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
SP Birkhäuser Verlag Basel
Published in
International Journal of Public Health / Issue 6/2010
Print ISSN: 1661-8556
Electronic ISSN: 1661-8564
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-010-0138-3

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