We explore the ramifications of applying Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of capitals to epidemiological research on socioeconomic health inequalities. Capitals are resources used by individuals and groups to maintain and enhance their positions in the social order. The notion of capital interplay refers to the interconnectedness of multiple forms of capital in the production of good health. We provide definitions of economic, cultural and social capitals and describe a variety of causally distal processes—namely, capital acquisition, multiplier and transmission interplays—from which new hypotheses can be developed to guide future study of socioeconomic health inequalities in modern societies.
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