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

Kazumune Ueshima,Soshi Takao,Ichiro Kawachi,Takeo Fujiwara,Etsuji Suzuki,S V Subramanian,Hiroyuki Doi,Toshihide Iwase,Joseph S Ross

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012135

Kazumune Ueshima, Soshi Takao + Show 7 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012135

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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.

Highlights

In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommended a moderate amount of physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes of brisk walking) on most, and preferably all, days of the week for every adult, in order to reduce premature mortality and morbidity [1,2]
This study suggests that higher levels of cognitive social capital is associated with lower odds of physical inactivity, even after controlling for age, sex, years of education, family structure, self-rated health, mental status, and body mass index (BMI)
Social participation was associated with lower odds of physical inactivity, the 95% confidence intervals included the null value after statistical control for potential confounding variables

Summary

Introduction

In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommended a moderate amount of physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes of brisk walking) on most, and preferably all, days of the week for every adult, in order to reduce premature mortality and morbidity [1,2]. Studies have demonstrated that exercise is linked with barriers as well as enabling factors at the neighborhood level, including features of the built environment (mixed land use, street connectivity), walkability, access to parks and playgrounds, and neighborhood safety [8,9,10,11,12,13]. In the domain of the contextual social environment, recent studies in the US and Europe have demonstrated an association between individual and/or neighborhood-level social capital and physical activity [4,6,9,14,15,16]. Our aim in this study was to examine whether individual-level social capital was associated with physical inactivity in a population-based sample in Japan. We defined and measured social capital in all four domains – i.e. cognitive, structural, bonding or bridging

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