The growing number of people living in deprived urban neighborhoods, which often have unhealthy environments, is of growing concern to inequality researchers. Social capital could be a resource to help such communities get ahead. In this study, we examined the differential effects of bonding and bridging social capital on self-rated health using two operational definitions, which we call personal and geographic social capital. Bonding and bridging social capital were operationally distinguished as respondents’ perceived similarity to other members of a group with respect to personal characteristics (personal social capital) or as structural similarity with respect to geographical location (geographic social capital). The results showed that although both bonding and bridging social capital as defined by person-based criteria were associated with increased odds of self-rated health compared to those who reported zero participation, when defined by place-based criteria, only bridging social capital was associated with increased odds of self-rated health; no clear association was found between health and belonging to groups within the neighborhood, so-called geographic bonding social capital. The present study suggests that geographic bridging social capital can function as linking social capital that enables an upward approach depending on the political and economic contexts of urbanization.
World Health Organization, The WHO Centre of Health Development, Kobe, and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). Hidden Cities: Unmasking and Overcoming Health Inequalities in Urban Settings, Geneva: WHO Press, 2010.
2.
VlahovDFreudenbergNProiettiF. Urban as a determinant of health. J Urban Health2007; 84(suppl 1): i16–i25.
3.
CorburnJCohenAK. Why we need urban health equity indicators: integrating science, policy, and community. PLos Med2012; 9(8): e1001285.
4.
SaracosttiM. Social capital as a strategy to overcome poverty in Latin America: an overview. Int Soc Work2007; 50(4): 515–527.
5.
McKenzieK. Urbanization, social capital and mental health. Glob Soc Policy2008; 8(3): 359–377.
6.
DomīnguezSArfordT. It is all about who you know: social capital and health in low-income communities. Health Soc Rev2010; 19(1): 114–129.
7.
City of Toronto, United Way Toronto. Strong Neighbourhoods: Responding to a Call to Action. A Progress Report on Strong Neighbourhoods Strategies, Toronto, ON: City of Toronto Printing Office, 2010.
8.
PortesA. Social capital: its origins and application in modern society. Annu Rev Soc1998; 24(1): 1–24.
9.
KawachiISubramanianSVKimD. Social Capital and Health, New York, NY: Springer, 2008.
10.
MitchellCULagoryM. Social capital and mental distress in an impoverished community. City Community2002; 1(2): 199–222.
11.
CaughyMOO’CampoPJMuntanerC. When being alone might be better: neighborhood poverty, social capital, and child mental health. Soc Sci Med2003; 57(2): 227–237.
12.
ZierschAMBaumFE. Involvement in civil society groups: is it good for your health?J Epidemiol Community Health2004; 58(6): 493–500.
13.
UsherCSocial capital and mental health in the urban South, USA. In: McKenzieKHarphamR (eds). Social Capital and Mental Health, London, England/Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006.
14.
StaffordMDe SilvaMStansfeldSMarmotM. Neighbourhood social capital and common mental disorder: testing the link in a general population sample. Health Place2008; 14(3): 394–405.
15.
CattellV. Poor people, poor place, and poor health: the mediating role of social networks and social capital. Soc Sci Med2001; 52(10): 1501–1516.
16.
AltschulerASomkinCPAdlerNE. Local services and amenities, neighborhood social capital, and health. Soc Sci Med2004; 59(6): 1219–1229.
17.
GeleAAHarsløfI. Types of social capital resources and self-rated health among the Norwegian adult population. Int J Equity Health2010; 9(1): 8. doi:10.1186/1475-9276-9-8.
18.
IwaseTSuzuki E, FujiwaraTTakaoSDoiHKawachiI. Do bonding and bridging social capital have differential effects on self-rated health? A community based study in Japan. J Epidemiol Community Health2012; 66(6): 557–562.
19.
HarphamTGrantEThomasE. Measuring social capital within health survey: key issues. Health Policy Plan2002; 17(1): 106–111.
20.
SzreterSWoolcockM. Health by association? Social capital, social theory and the political economy of public health. Int J Epidemiol2004; 33(4): 650–667.
21.
ProshanskyHMFabianAKKaminoffR. Place-identity: physical world socialization of the self. J Environ Psychol1983; 3(1): 57–83.
22.
BolamBMurphySGleesonK. Place-identity and geographical inequalities in health: a qualitative study. Psychol Health2006; 21(3): 399–420.
23.
LeeJYKwakDK. Cause and process of urbanization: a case study of Seoul. Korean Public Adm Quart1993; 5(1): 229–246.
24.
HarveyD. The Urban Experience, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1989.
25.
ByunCHLimitation of city planning in Seoul. In: ChoMRKangHSKwonOHKimYCLeeSHLeeJW (eds). Seoul Research, Seoul, South Korea: Hanwool Academy Press, 1993.
26.
ChoEChoOR. Life and Space of Urban Poor, Seoul, South Korea: Seoul National University Press, 1992.
27.
KimSHLeeHJSonBD. Poverty in South Korea: A New but Old Task, Seoul, South Korea: Hanwool Academy Press, 2009.
28.
ChungDI. Researching Urban Poor, Seoul, South Korea: Morning Press, 1985.
29.
KimYCChoiEY. Spatio-temporal changes and characteristics of households failing to meet the new minimum housing standard in Seoul metropolitan (1995–201). J Korean Geog Soc2013; 48(4): 509–532.
30.
HongEO. Solving problems of social exclusion and making plans of social integration for the urban poor living in publicly rented housing. City Poverty2005; 76(1): 32–60.
31.
LeeEJ. Lived experience of the urban poor living in publicly rented housing in Seoul city: focusing on resident relationships. Koran J Soc Theory2009; 36(1): 29–80.
32.
McPhersonMSmith-LovinLCookJM. Birds of feather: homophily in social networks. Annu Rev Soc2001; 27(1): 415–444.
33.
UeshimaKFujiwaraTTakaoS. Does social capital promote physical activity? A population-based study in Japan. PLos One2010; 5(8): e12135. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012135.
34.
KishimotoYSuzukiEIwaseTDoiHTakaoS. Group involvement and self-rated health among the Japanese elderly: an examination of bonding and bridging social capital. BMC Public Health2013; 13(1): 1189. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-1189.
35.
MurayamaHNishiMMatsuoE. Do bonding and bridging social capital affect self-rated health, depressive mood and cognitive decline in older Japanese? A prospective cohort study. Soc Sci Med2013; 98: 247–252.
36.
FriedkinNE. Structural basis of interpersonal influence in groups: a longitudinal case study. Am Soc Rev1993; 58(6): 861–872.
37.
LongJSFreeseJ. Regression Models for Categorical Dependent Variables Using Stata, College Station, TX: Stata Press, 2006.
38.
HarveyD. Rebel Cities—From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution, London, England: Verso, 2012.
39.
GaleaSVlahovD. Urban health: evidence, challenges, and directions. Ann Rev Public Health2005; 26: 341–365.
40.
OoiGLPhuaKH. Urbanization and slum formation. J. Urban Health2007; 84(suppl 1): i27–i34.
