Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015

Objectives We aimed to examine the associations of both individual-level and county-level social capital with individual health in China during a period of rapid economic growth.Design and setting A serial cross-sectional study in China.Participants and methods The participants were 42 829 Chinese a...

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Main Author: Yang Han
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e044616.full
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author Yang Han
author_facet Yang Han
author_sort Yang Han
collection DOAJ
description Objectives We aimed to examine the associations of both individual-level and county-level social capital with individual health in China during a period of rapid economic growth.Design and setting A serial cross-sectional study in China.Participants and methods The participants were 42 829 Chinese adults (aged ≥18 years) from the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 Chinese General Social Survey. The outcomes were self-rated physical and mental health in all time points. We assessed social capital by the individual-level and county-level indicators, including frequency of socialising, civic participation and trust. We conducted multilevel binary logistic regression models to examine the associations of individual-level and county-level social capital with self-rated physical and mental health.Results At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010—OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.33 to 1.66; 2012—OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.26 to 1.54; 2013—OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.42; 2015—OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.50) and high trust (2010—OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.47; 2012—OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.42; 2013—OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.33; 2015—OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.28 to 1.55) was significantly associated with good physical health in all years. At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010—OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.42; 2012—OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.34; 2013—OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.45; 2015—OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.50) and high trust (2010—OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.34 to 1.61; 2012—OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.56; 2013—OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.49; 2015—OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.57) was also significantly associated with good mental health in all years. No evidence showed that the associations of individual-level frequency of socialising and trust with physical and mental health changed over time. There were no consistent associations of individual-level civic participation or any county-level social capital indicators with physical or mental health.Conclusion The positive associations of individual-level social capital in terms of socialising and trust with physical and mental health were robust during a period of rapid economic growth. Improving individual-level socialising and trust for health promotion could be a long-term strategy even within a rapidly developing society.
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spelling doaj-art-3eb9ac43203e44b4b3129a98e71c67a02025-08-20T02:30:38ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-08-0111810.1136/bmjopen-2020-044616Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015Yang Han0JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaObjectives We aimed to examine the associations of both individual-level and county-level social capital with individual health in China during a period of rapid economic growth.Design and setting A serial cross-sectional study in China.Participants and methods The participants were 42 829 Chinese adults (aged ≥18 years) from the 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015 Chinese General Social Survey. The outcomes were self-rated physical and mental health in all time points. We assessed social capital by the individual-level and county-level indicators, including frequency of socialising, civic participation and trust. We conducted multilevel binary logistic regression models to examine the associations of individual-level and county-level social capital with self-rated physical and mental health.Results At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010—OR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.33 to 1.66; 2012—OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.26 to 1.54; 2013—OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15 to 1.42; 2015—OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.50) and high trust (2010—OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.47; 2012—OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.42; 2013—OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10 to 1.33; 2015—OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.28 to 1.55) was significantly associated with good physical health in all years. At the individual level, high frequency of socialising (2010—OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.42; 2012—OR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.34; 2013—OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.45; 2015—OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.50) and high trust (2010—OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.34 to 1.61; 2012—OR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.56; 2013—OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.24 to 1.49; 2015—OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.57) was also significantly associated with good mental health in all years. No evidence showed that the associations of individual-level frequency of socialising and trust with physical and mental health changed over time. There were no consistent associations of individual-level civic participation or any county-level social capital indicators with physical or mental health.Conclusion The positive associations of individual-level social capital in terms of socialising and trust with physical and mental health were robust during a period of rapid economic growth. Improving individual-level socialising and trust for health promotion could be a long-term strategy even within a rapidly developing society.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e044616.full
spellingShingle Yang Han
Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015
BMJ Open
title Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015
title_full Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015
title_fullStr Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015
title_full_unstemmed Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015
title_short Are both individual-level and county-level social capital associated with individual health? A serial cross-sectional analysis in China, 2010–2015
title_sort are both individual level and county level social capital associated with individual health a serial cross sectional analysis in china 2010 2015
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/8/e044616.full
work_keys_str_mv AT yanghan arebothindividuallevelandcountylevelsocialcapitalassociatedwithindividualhealthaserialcrosssectionalanalysisinchina20102015