Rebuilding Social Capital through Osekkai Conferences in Rural Communities: A Social Network Analysis

Abstract

Social prescribing can promote the creation of new relationships, which may then promote the building of social capital in communities. One example of a social prescribing tool in Japan is Osekkai conferences, which increase social participation and mitigate the degree of loneliness in rural communities. A clarification of the changes in social interaction and intensity of connections among people through Osekkai conferences could contribute to better social prescribing in rural communities. This social network study was conducted among people who have participated in an Osekkai conference. The primary outcomes of degrees and centrality were measured as the degree of social capital. The primary outcomes were compared between April and September 2021 and between October 2021 and March 2022. The continuous performance of Osekkai conferences as social prescribing tools led to an increase in conference participation, mainly by middle-aged women in the communities. Based on a social network analysis, the average direct connection with each person did not increase; the network density decreased gradually; the network diameter decreased from 6 to 5. Regarding the node-level statistics, harmonic closeness centrality and eccentricity decreased, and modularity increased. Social prescribing initiatives should focus on improving social capital in communities, which may improve the number and meaningfulness of the collaborations among organizations and indigenous communities.