Does Social Capital Promote Physical Activity? A Population-Based Study in Japan

Abstract

BackgroundTo examine the association between individual-level social capital and physical activity.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn February 2009, data were collected in a population-based cross-sectional survey in Okayama city, Japan. A cluster-sampling approach was used to randomly select 4,000 residents from 20 school districts. A total of 2260 questionnaires were returned (response rate: 57.4%). Individual-level social capital was assessed by an item inquiring about perceived trust of others in the community (cognitive dimension of social capital) categorized as low trust (43.0%), mid trust (38.6%), and high trust (17.3%), as well as participation in voluntary groups (structural dimension of social capital), which further distinguished between bonding (8.9%) and bridging (27.1%) social capital. Using logistic regression, we calculated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for physical inactivity associated with each domain of social capital. Multiple imputation method was employed for missing data. Among total participants, 68.8% were physically active and 28.9% were inactive. Higher trust was associated with a significantly lower odds of physical inactivity (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.42–0.79) compared with low trust. Both bridging and bonding social capital were marginally significantly associated with lower odds of physical inactivity (bridging, OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.62–1.00; bonding, OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.48–1.03) compared with lack of structural social capital.Conclusions/SignificanceLow individual-level social capital, especially lower trust of others in the community, was associated with physical inactivity among Japanese adults.

The measurement of bridging social capital in population health research

“…The lack of conceptual unity is reflected by the fact that bridging and bonding social capital have been measured without specifying the heterogeneity or the homogeneity of people involved in social Ueshima et al (2010) To examine the association between individual-level social capital and physical activity.…”

Relationship between social capital indicators and lifestyle in Brazilian adults

“…This is relevant because the relationship between indicators of social capital and lifestyle may vary with the context. In Japan perceptions and expectations of social behavior and community sense are more linked to the cognitive aspect of social capital and have shown to be more strongly associated with physical activity 18 , while in the United States this same association was more evident with structural indicators of social capital (political and civic participation) 49 . In our study both structural and cognitive aspects were similarly associated with physical inactivity, but they showed different associations with the rest of behaviors.…”

“…The questions were drawn from the Brazilian version of the Integrated Questionnaire for the Measurement of Social Capital (QI-MSC) 39 , and social capital indicators were selected from previous studies 17,18,20,21,40 . The selected indicators included various categories of social capital: cognitive (trust in community members, frequency of help and community safety), structural (participation in community activities), formal (also, participation in community activities) and informal (number of friends and number of people to borrow money from).…”

“…A low social capital results from social and economic inequities, and has shown a negative impact on the health status of communities with weaker social bonds; these communities have a low investment in human capital and social support networks, and less participation of the population in the definition of public policies. There is evidence that individuals with greater social capital tend to be more physically active 16,17,18,19,20,21 , have better eating habits 22,23 and lower frequency of smoking 24,25,26,27,28,29 . However, the relationship between social capital and alcohol consumption is still uncertain; while the lack of institutional trust is associated with harmful alcohol intake 30 , high social participation has also been linked to increased alcohol consumption 26 .…”

Physical activity by children: an analysis based on Social Network Theory

“…Identifying the type of actors involved in the children's social networks and how they relate to each other, is important for the design of interventions that are aimed at individuals and groups to help promote PA at schools and in the community 14,15 .…”