Social capital and health status: Assessing whether the relationship varies between blacks and whites

Author: Beaudoin, Christopher

Source: Psychology and Health, Volume 24, Number 1, January 2009 , pp. 109-118(10)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $50.43 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

The current study tests whether the relationship between social capital and health status varies between Blacks and Whites. It then considers whether such variance is a function of income level. OLS regression analysis is conducted on data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 2005, a national survey of 5586 adults conducted by the National Cancer Institute. Auxiliary friendship plays a more positive role in predicting health status than the other three social capital indicators: group membership, religious participation and discussion networks. There is one significant two-way interaction effect, with the association between auxiliary friendship and health status being more beneficial for Whites than Blacks. A significant three-way interaction effect signifies that the influence of ethnicity on the relationship between auxiliary friendship and health status is a function of income, with low-income Blacks benefiting much less from auxiliary friendship than high-income Blacks or, low- or high-income Whites. These findings are discussed in terms of health disparities in the United States, related practice and policy and the audience targeting of future health initiatives.

Keywords: social capital; health status; ethnicitysocial capital and health status

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08870440701700997

Affiliations: 1: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, USA

Publication date: 2009-01-01