Relationship Between Social Capital and Disease Burden

Background and Objectives: Social capital (SC) has been defined as a 3-pronged construct that includes social support, civic participation and community trust. SC is infrequently used in public health surveillance. This study explores the relationship between SC and disease burden (DB).

Methods: 3,667 adults participated in the 2005 Rhode Island Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The survey included a 9-item SC module and nine questions about medical diagnoses (diabetes, myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, current asthma, osteoporosis, hypertension, arthritis and overweight/obesity). Data were converted into SC risk factor and DB scales and evaluated using bivariate analysis and multiple logistic regression.

Results: >50% of respondents with diabetes, MI, angina or stroke had DB of 4+. DB4+ for other conditions ranged from 15% (overweight/obesity) to 37% (osteoporosis). >50% reported 3+ SC risks. Unadjusted ORs were highly significant for DB2+ (OR=3.8), DB3+ (OR=1.4) and DB4+ (OR=1.5). After controlling for life satisfaction and mobility, adjusted ORs were very significant from DB+2 (OR=1.5) thru DB6+ (OR=3.7). High mobility was not significant for SC levels but for DB2+ (OR=1.9), DB3+ (OR=2.0) and DB4+ (OR=3.0).

Conclusions: In 2005, ~65,000 (9%) of adult Rhode Islanders reported DB4+ and ~202,000 (28%) 3+ SC risks. High SC risks may increase the likelihood of people having high DB as well. Findings support complementary disease surveillance strategies for risk reduction, underscore the need for SC interventions, and the implications of individual DB on health service organization and delivery.