Influence of Social Capital on the Health of Individuals

Abstract

Social capital consists of characteristics of the relations and the interaction that happens between individuals and groups. It is perceived as an individual level where personal resources can emerge in various social networks where individuals have good access to support and services involved. On several occasions, social capital has been perceived as a factor that can affect health through numerous mechanisms. These are well-known norms and attitudes that influence health psychological networks and increases access to quality health systems thus enhancing self-esteem. The objective of this paper, therefore, was to assess the influence social capital has on the health of individuals. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design and targeted 840 respondents from 7 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and interview guides, which were pilot-tested before use and utilized the Cronbach alpha test on SPSS to measure both reliability of the research tool and the internal consistency. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics which includes correlation analysis aided by Statistical Package for Social Science for quantitative while the qualitative data was analyzed using narrative and thematic methods. Results showed that social capital indeed has an influence on the health of individuals. 54% of the respondents reported having fallen below their economic status at some point in their life and further provided insights on the importance of friends and family at this point in their life. 98% of them confirmed receiving aid and support (both moral and financial) from their family and social networks and this eased a lot of stress and further supported them in their search for new channels of earning their livelihoods. Also, 69.1% of the respondents reported belonging to a particular social network, among them, 95% confirmed that in multiple occasions, the social network influenced their health-seeking behaviors, diet, and general hygiene, eating and sleeping habits, etc. while noting that the network provides support (both financial, moral, care, etc.) to its members and thereby reducing the effects of stress on the people who are part of the social networks as well as the likelihood of becoming sick. The respondents gave social capital an average rating of 3.7 out of 5 showing a 74% effect on the health of individuals. The correlation analysis between social capital and health of individuals demonstrated a degree of positive correlation, with an estimated average of 0.736. In conclusion, the study showed that social networks are the bedrock of social support, and this is helpful and most impactful on the health status of individuals. Social capital is therefore a potentially crucial characteristic of the social and cultural environment that ultimately influences the patterns of health outcomes.