Application of a social capital scale in older women attending public primary care clinics

Abstract

Social capital is an economical idea that refers to connections between individuals and entities that can be economically valuable. To establish the relationship of social capital as a health care asset, with sociodemographic variables of older women attending public health care services. Chen’s Personal Social Capital scale was applied to 113 women aged between 64 and 80 years during 2014. Cronbach’s alpha of the instrument was calculated. The Cronbach’s alpha of the instrument was 0.86. The average score for social capital was 23.9 points of a maximum of 50. Bridging capital scores had the higher disparity, specifically in participation in community organizations and the representation of their interest in them. Bonding capital decreased along with a higher age of interviewed women (r = -0,43, p < 0,01). Higher territorial roots were associated with a lower perception of social community resource availability (r = -0,42, p < 0,01). The social capital scores in these women were low. Their better support networks were close relationships and relatives. The sensation of solitude increased with age.