Can cultural capital, cognitive ability, and economic capacity help rural older adults bridge the digital divide? Evidence from an empirical study.

Background: The digital divide is the difference between individuals who use the Internet and those who do not. Under the triple social environment of urban-rural dichotomy, population aging, and the digital era in China, the existence of digital divide among rural older adults has seriously affected their access to health information through the Internet, so it is urgent to bridge the digital divide problem they face. Methods: Based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory and Stress Coping Theory, the impact of cultural capital on the digital divide among rural older adults was systematically analyzed using hierarchical regression and Chained Mediation Effect Tests using data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Results: Cultural capital has a significant positive effect on the digital divide among rural older adults (ß = 0.178, p < 0.01). Cognitive ability and economic capacity both play independent intermediary effects between cultural capital and digital divide among rural older adults, and the intermediary chain formed by the two plays a chain intermediary effect. The increase in the cultural capital of rural older adults has led to an increase in their cognitive ability and economic capacity, which ultimately has a favorable effect on the bridging of the digital divide. Heterogeneity results suggest that cultural capital is more effective in bridging the digital divide among male rural older adults aged 60-69. Conclusion: Cultural capital is able to bridge the digital divide faced by rural older adults and is age and gender heterogeneous. At the same time, improved cognitive ability and economic capacity can also help rural older adults bridge the digital divide. Therefore, it is proposed that we increase the construction of public cultural service infrastructure in rural areas, liaise with community neighborhood committees and village committees to do a good job of publicity, improve training measures for key groups, and maintain the enthusiasm of rural older adults for learning, so as to provide references for the rural older adults in China and developing countries in general to bridge the digital divide.

Psychological capital and social class: A capital approach to understanding positive psychological states and their role in explaining social inequalities.

Psychological capital (PsyCap) is a multidimensional concept entailing hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. This paper argues that it can be considered a form of "capital" explaining social inequality. We test whether PsyCap can be integrated into the Bourdieusian capital framework by assessing its relationship with social, economic, and cultural capital. We also identify different types of social positions based on the volume and composition of psychological, economic, cultural, and social capital. We use cross-sectional data from the European Social Survey of 2012 (N = 35,313 respondents; 29 countries). To test the associations with the Bourdieusian capital types, we calculated multilevel spearman rank correlations and performed confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Latent Class Analysis identified different types of social positions. We found positive weak correlations between PsyCap and the indicators of cultural capital (r ≤ .14) and positive moderate correlations with the indicators of economic and social capital (r ≤ .24). The results of the CFA showed that the fit of the 4-capital model was superior to that of the 3-capital model. We identified six types of social positions: two deprived types (with overall low capital levels); two well-off types (with overall high capital levels) and two types with high psychological and social capital in combination with varying levels of cultural and economic capital. Including PsyCap in the Bourdieusian capital framework acknowledges the power of positive psychological states regarding processes of social mobility and social inequality on the one hand and calls for understanding PsyCap as a social and group-level phenomenon on the other hand. As such, integrating PsyCap into the Bourdieusian framework can help to address the longstanding issue of understanding the relationship between social and individual differences in the study of social inequalities.

Social trust and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: lessons in planning for future pandemics using data from the general social survey.

BACKGROUND: The United States has lost many lives to COVID-19. The role of social capital and collective action has been previously explored in the context of COVID-19. The current study specifically investigates the role of social trust at the county level and COVID-19 mortality in the US, hypothesizing that counties with higher social trust will have lower COVID-19 mortality rates. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from the General Social Survey (GSS). We collected COVID-19 mortality data from the COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University until October 31, 2021. We obtained county characteristics from the 2019 American Community Survey and supplemented this data source with additional publicly available county-level data, such as measures of income inequality and political leanings. We measured social trust as a single item from the GSS and calculated mean social trust in a county by pooling responses from 2002 to 2018. We then modeled the relationship between mean social trust and COVID-19 mortality. RESULTS: Results indicate that counties with higher social trust have lower COVID-19 mortality rates. Higher values of mean social trust at the county level are associated with a decrease in COVID-19 mortality (b= -0.25, p-value < 0.001), after adjustment for confounding. The direction of association is consistent in a sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of investment in social capital and social trust. We believe these findings can be applied beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, as they demonstrate the potential for social trust as a method for emergency preparedness.

Association of social capital and adherence to a Mediterranean diet in adults living in Tehran: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the role of social capital in adherence to the Mediterranean diet can inform interventions to promote healthier eating habits in Iranian adults. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Dietary intake was assessed using a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was measured by the Mediterranean diet score (MDS), ranging from 0 to 18. The Social Capital Questionnaire (SCQ), in which questions are scored on a 4-point Likert scale from "never" (= 1) to "always" (= 4), was used. Linear regression controlling for sex, age, marital status, BMI, education, lifestyle and chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases) and energy intake was used to calculate unstandardized coefficients (B) and 95% CIs. A total of 270 adults with a mean age of 36.76 ± 13.22 years who lived in Tehran were enrolled. RESULTS: 270 adults (118 males and 152 females) were included. Multivariate-adjusted B showed a positive association between social capital and adherence to a Mediterranean diet (ß ± SE = 0.54 ± 0.15, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.84 P = 0.001). Adding energy intake as a new covariate in Model 3 was not accompanied by an enormous change (ß ± SE = 0.55 ± 0.15, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.85 P ˂0.001). CONCLUSION: This cross-sectional study indicated that better social capital in adults is significantly associated with greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet. We suggest that future studies investigate this association in larger sample sizes.

It's not who you know, but who you are: Explaining income gaps of stigmatized-caste business owners in India.

Scholars across disciplines and around the world have diverted research attention to rising income inequalities across groups and strategies to reduce them. The literature has broadly identified human capital and social capital as two potential tools to facilitate economic mobility and to reduce inequalities. However, it is not known whether these tools work equally well for stigmatized groups, particularly in societies with systemic inequalities. Analyzing data from a pan-India survey, we show that business owners from stigmatized groups (i.e., Dalits in India, who are stigmatized as untouchables) experience a business income gap of around 16% compared to others, including those business owners who are from communities that are disadvantaged but are not similarly stigmatized. We find that, instead of being reduced, this gap in fact increases at higher levels of social capital, especially bridging social capital, illustrating the social processes of stigmatization that limit the benefits that Dalits can reap from social capital. By contrast, Dalits can reap similar income benefits as others from human capital. Our results show that human capital helps stigmatized groups mitigate the implications of stigma, but social capital does not.

Social capital mediates knowledge gaps in informing sexual and reproductive health behaviours across Africa.

Advancing sexual and reproductive health is essential for promoting human rights and women's empowerment, and combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A large body of literature across the social sciences emphasizes the importance of social capital, generated through the strength of social networks, for shaping health behaviours. However, large-scale measurement of social capital and social networks remains elusive, especially in the context of low-income countries. Here we delve into the role of social capital dynamics, and in particular social connectedness across communities as measured through Facebook friendship links, in shaping knowledge diffusion and behaviour related to sexual and reproductive health in 495 regions across 33 countries in Africa. Our findings demonstrate that regions with higher levels of social connectedness are more similar in their knowledge about contraception and HIV testing, as well as their adoption of these behaviours. We further observe that the influence of social connectedness becomes stronger when the knowledge gaps between regions are larger. In other words, regions are more similar in behaviours, despite knowledge gaps, when they are socially connected. These insights carry significant policy implications, especially for the design and targeting of public health campaigns. We highlight that social connectedness can serve both as a driver and an obstacle in behaviour formation, underscoring the importance of understanding its influence on health-related outcomes.

Community-level social capital and subsequent health and well-being among older adults in Japan: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach.

There is inconsistent evidence on the association between community-level social capital and the health or well-being of older adults. This study examined the association between community-level social capital and multidimensional health and well-being outcomes using an outcome-wide approach. We used data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a nationwide cohort study of Japanese older adults (analytic samples: 47,227 for outcomes obtained from the long-term care insurance registry and 34,183 for other outcomes). We assessed three aspects of school-district-level community social capital in 2016 (civic participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity) and 41 subsequent health and well-being outcomes through 2019. We performed either a modified multilevel Poisson regression or a multilevel logistic regression analysis. We adjusted for pre-baseline characteristics, prior outcome values, and individual-level social capital from the 2013 wave. Even after Bonferroni correction, we found that community-level social capital was associated with some subsequent social well-being and physical/cognitive health. For example, community-level reciprocity was associated with a higher prevalence of taking a social role (Prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02, 1.04) and undergoing health screening (PR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.04). There was modest evidence that community-level civic participation was associated with a higher competency of intellectual activity (PR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.02) and community-level social cohesion was associated with a reduced onset of functional disability (PR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.98). Community-level social capital may promote social well-being and some physical/cognitive health outcomes.

High social capital facilitates the alleviation of psychological distress in breast cancer patients: Insights from a cross-sectional study in Anhui Province, China.

Differences in social capital have been shown to impact psychological distress in cancer patients, but few studies have examined the relationship between social capital and the distress thermometer (DT) in breast cancer patients who have undergone modified radical surgery. To fill this research gap, our study aimed to investigate the association between social capital and the DT among breast cancer patients who underwent modified radical surgery in Anhui Province, China. This cross-sectional study used multi-stage stratified random sampling. Data on demographic characteristics, eight dimensions of social capital, and the DT were collected using a questionnaire. Logistic regression models were subsequently utilized to assess the relationship between social capital and DT, adjusting for confounding factors. A total of 253 participants were included in the final analysis. Results indicated that individuals with higher levels of social capital, including participation in the local community (OR = 3.437; 95% CI: 1.734-6.814), social agency or proactivity in a social context (OR = 69.700; 95% CI: 20.142-241.195), feelings of trust and safety (OR = 26.287; 95% CI: 7.646-90.374), neighborhood connections (OR = 7.022; 95% CI: 3.020-16.236), family and friend connections (OR = 59.315; 95% CI: 17.182-204.760), tolerance of diversity (OR = 9.785; 95% CI: 4.736-20.216), value of life (OR = 65.142; 95% CI: 19.994-212.242), and work connections (OR = 31.842; 95% CI: 12.612-80.397), had higher odds of reporting poor DT scores compared to those with lower levels of social capital. These findings indicate an association between social capital and DT scores in breast cancer patients who have undergone modified radical surgery, suggesting that social capital may play a crucial role in alleviating psychological distress within this community.

Green Synergy: Interplay of corporate social responsibility, green intellectual capital, and green ambidextrous innovation for sustainable performance in the industry 4.0 era.

This study delves into the interconnections among corporate social responsibility, green intellectual capital, green ambidextrous innovation, and sustainable performance, particularly in the context of Industry 4.0 and sustainability. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted, and a sample of 317 small and medium enterprises was collected. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling in Smart-PLS v4, the findings reveal a significant relationship between corporate social responsibility and sustainable performance, with green intellectual capital and green ambidextrous innovation serving as mediating factors. Moreover, the study highlights the moderating role of Industry 4.0 among green intellectual capital and green ambidextrous innovation with sustainable performance. These findings may guide the managers in designing and implementing CSR strategies beyond compliance and contributing to competitive advantage through green intellectual capital and green ambidextrous innovation for business success in the era of Industry 4.0.

Perceived Social Support and Presenteeism Among Nurses: Mediation of Psychological Capital.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between perceived social support and presenteeism among nurses. BACKGROUND: The concept of presenteeism explored in this study refers to the behavior of nurses who hold on to their jobs despite poor physical or mental health, manifested in poor work productivity and loss of productivity. Perceived social support and psychological capital may help reduce presenteeism. However, there is limited knowledge about the association between perceived social support, psychological capital, and presenteeism among nurses. METHODS: Data were collected through questionnaires from 468 RNs. Data analysis used Pearson's correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, and structural equation model. RESULTS: The results indicated that perceived social support and psychological capital were significantly negatively correlated with nurses' presenteeism. Structural equation modeling revealed that psychological capital mediated the relationship between perceived social support and presenteeism, with a partial mediating effect of -0.191, accounting for 28% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS: These results identified structural relationships between the 3 variables of perceived social support, psychological capital, and presenteeism and provided a theoretical reference for developing strategies to decrease nurses' presenteeism.

Association between social capital, mental health, and digital health literacy among the university students in China: a multigroup analysis based on major difference.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to clarify medical-nonmedical difference on the relationship between social capital, mental health and digital health literacy of university students in China, and furtherly provide evidence-based suggestions on the improvement of the digital health literacy for the university students. METHODS: The snowball sampling method was used to collect data from the university students (including medical students and nonmedical students) through online questionnaires, and finally 1472 university students were included for the data analysis, of whom, 665 (45.18%) were medical students, 807 (54.82%) were nonmedical students; 462 (31.39%) were male, 1010 (68.61%) were female. Mean value of the age was 21.34 ± 2.33 for medical students vs. 20.96 ± 2.16 for nonmedical students. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test analysis, one-way Analysis of Variance (conducted by SPSS) and structural equation modeling (conducted by AMOS) were employed to explore the difference on the relationship between social capital, mental health and digital health literacy between the medical students and nonmedical students. RESULTS: The mean value of the digital health literacy was 36.27 (37.33 for medical students vs. 35.39 for nonmedical students). The SEM analysis showed that there was a statistically positive correlation between social capital and digital health literacy (stronger among the nonmedical students (0.317) than medical students (0.184)). Mental health had a statistically positive impact on the digital health literacy among medical students (0.242), but statistically significant correlation was not observed in nonmedical students (0.017). Social capital was negatively correlated with the mental health for both medical students and NMS (stronger among the nonmedical students (0.366) than medical students (0.255)). And the fitness indices of SEM were same between medical students and nonmedical students (GFI = 0.911, AGFI = 0.859, CFI = 0.922, RMSEA = 0.074). CONCLUSION: The digital health literacy of the university student was relatively high. Both social capital and mental health could exert a positive effect on digital health literacy, while social capital was found to be positively associated with mental health. Statistical difference was found between medical students and nonmedical students on the above correlations. Implications were given on the improvement of the digital health literacy among university students in China.

Social mechanisms for integrating community cats into community governance in urban China.

The presence of community cats roaming freely in urban spaces has caused considerable controversy. This is because the management and care of community cats have yet to become part of urban community governance. This research analyzes the process and mechanism of integrating community cats into urban community governance from the interaction between community cats and urban residents. Data were collected through participatory observation and unstructured interviews. Drawing upon the analytical framework of 'Norms, Trust, and Networks' derived from social capital theory, this research reveals that social norms and trust activate the social capital of the community, fostering a social network with 'community cats' at its core. More importantly, this social network extends the scope of care from the community cat to other members of the community. This research defines this mechanism as 'care extension.' This not only fosters a neighborly relationship between residents and community cats that goes beyond mere ecological interactions, but also helps foster a compassionate and harmonious multi-species urban community.

Association between bullying, childhood adversities and social capital among adolescents.

This study aims to analyze the association between bullying behaviors, adverse childhood experiences and social capital in late adolescence. Secondary school students aged 15-19 of a metropolitan region of Brazil were recruited for a sectional epidemiological survey, with a sample of 2,281 students, stratified by municipality of school location. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed from three instruments: Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, Childhood Adversity History Questionnaire and Integrated Questionnaire to Measure Social Capital, in adapted versions. The results showed that the factors associated with bullying victims were gender and adversity in childhood. The factors associated to bullying aggressors were gender, childhood adversities, and cognitive social capital. And the factors associated with bullying aggressor-victims were gender, childhood adversities, and cognitive social capital. It is concluded that bullying is associated with adversity in childhood and also with cognitive social capital and they point out the need to address the causes of violence in order to provide a healthy and safe development for children and adolescents, preventing negative outcomes for physical and mental health.

Exploring the structure of household social capital in rural Vietnam: Applying Bayesian network approach.

This study aims to explore the structure of the households' social capital of rural Vietnam households with secondary data from 2008 to 2018. This paper applied the fundamental theories (resource and network theories) and the Bayesian network to estimate the interaction of proxies to explore the structure of social capital. Results showed that the triangle structure in household social capital with the core point is organization participation. The connections show the tendency from organization participation, linking to household networks. Alongside that, linking social capital and Organization participation are determinants of social capital indicators (social events, social cost). Therefore, this paper suggests employing proxies such as structured indicators for integrating social capital into the livelihood papers.

Higher education as a pathway for female immigrants' establishment and well-being in Sweden.

PURPOSE: This study focuses on higher education as a pathway to establishment in a new society for female immigrants and its role in well-being. Building on previous research that highlights social capital and empowerment as significant factors for successful establishment in a new society, and experiencing well-being, this study aims to explore if higher education can promote female immigrants' establishment in Swedish society. METHODS: Interviews were used to explore female immigrants' experiences of higher education and establishment in Swedish society. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the empirical material, generating a nuanced understanding of the studied topic. RESULTS: Higher education was found to promote establishment in Swedish society, ultimately leading to an experience of well-being. Pursuing higher education was perceived as a means of achieving personal fulfilment and success while fostering new social connections. Important factors in pursuing higher education included favourable living conditions, personal motivation, and a positive educational attitude. CONCLUSION: The study provides insights into female immigrants' higher education experiences in a context that promotes establishment in Swedish society and well-being. However, more research is needed to fully investigate the driving factors for female immigrants pursuing higher education, considering their migrant background and living conditions.

Quantifying social capital creation in post-disaster recovery aid in Indonesia: methodological innovation by an AI-based language model.

Smooth interaction with a disaster-affected community can create and strengthen its social capital, leading to greater effectiveness in the provision of successful post-disaster recovery aid. To understand the relationship between the types of interaction, the strength of social capital generated, and the provision of successful post-disaster recovery aid, intricate ethnographic qualitative research is required, but it is likely to remain illustrative because it is based, at least to some degree, on the researcher's intuition. This paper thus offers an innovative research method employing a quantitative artificial intelligence (AI)-based language model, which allows researchers to re-examine data, thereby validating the findings of the qualitative research, and to glean additional insights that might otherwise have been missed. This paper argues that well-connected personnel and religiously-based communal activities help to enhance social capital by bonding within a community and linking to outside agencies and that mixed methods, based on the AI-based language model, effectively strengthen text-based qualitative research.

Islamic faith-based organisations and their role in building social capital for post-disaster recovery in Indonesia.

This paper investigates the role of Islamic faith-based organisations (FBOs) in Indonesia and examines the way in which their disaster recovery aid can be successful or less successful depending on social capital formation in communities affected by a disaster. The paper argues that Islamic FBOs play a prominent role in disaster-affected communities by building new social capital or strengthening existing social capital. Failure to do so may affect a community's recovery and its long-term resilience. Applying a framework that considers three types of social capital-bonding, bridging, and linking-from a comparative perspective, the paper discusses two cases of disaster recovery: one following the earthquake that struck Aceh in 2013; and the other after the Mount Kelud volcanic eruptions in East Java in 2014. In both instances, the findings highlight the importance of the village facilitator, cultural sensitivity, and understanding of local indigenous and religious practices for successful disaster recovery.

Relationships between students' perceived campus walkability, mental health, and life satisfaction during COVID-19.

Improving walkability in the campus environment and socio-psychological environments can promote students' mental health and subjective well-being. This study aimed to propose a theoretical model to investigate the link of perceived campus walkability (PCW) with mental health and life satisfaction (LS), and to disentangle the mediating impact of socio-psychological environments and academic performance on this relationship, while simultaneously considering the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. We applied structural equation modeling to analyze the data collected through a questionnaire survey conducted at six universities and colleges in Yantai, China. PCW had both direct and indirect positive effects on mental health and LS. However, indirect effects are greater than direct effects. Walking attitudes, social capital, and academic performance were critical to the relationship between PCW, mental health, and LS. Academic performance had the strongest indirect effect on mental health, while social capital had the strongest indirect effect on LS. We also found that during the COVID-19 pandemic, body mass index and family income were significantly correlated with mental health and LS. The findings indicate that campus planners and policymakers should improve PCW and support the socio-psychological environment to promote students' mental and social health during situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The role of social capital in the impact of multiple shocks on households' coping strategies in underdeveloped rural areas.

Social capital has long been recognized as a facilitator of socio-economic development. However, the role of social capital in enhancing resilience to multiple shocks in rural China remains insufficiently explored. This study focus on the resilience of households that have recently get rid of poverty and reside in underdeveloped rural areas of China. Unlike previous studies, the article incorporates multiple shocks, social capital, and households' coping strategies into a research framework at the micro level. This study systematically analyses the multiple shocks experienced by households, their coping strategies, and further explores the mediating role of social capital. Utilizing two waves of a rural household panel survey data collected in six underdeveloped counties in 2015 and 2018 in China, we present four key findings. Currently, households primarily contend with drought, illness of family members, and the high costs of agricultural inputs as the main shocks. Their predominant coping strategy is reducing consumption. Importantly, social capital exhibits a mediating effect, accounting for 9.8% of the impact of multiple shocks on households' coping strategies. Notably, natural disasters significantly diminish the informal functions of social capital. While social capital exerts a full mediating effect in non-agricultural households, this effect is not observed among others. This study contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics and specificities of social capital in vulnerable rural areas. Additionally, the findings provide policymakers with practical insights regarding differentiated and preemptive risk governance approaches.

A study on the factors influencing the vulnerability of women of childbearing age to health poverty in rural western China.

The health of women of childbearing age in rural areas is crucial for the development of individuals, families, and society. Research on the identification and influencing factors of health vulnerability in impoverished and disadvantaged groups is important for adjusting and implementing health poverty alleviation policies. However, there is limited research on the health vulnerability of women of childbearing age in rural Western China. Based on panel data from the Rural Residents' Family Health Status Survey in 2019 and 2022, the vulnerability to health poverty of women of childbearing age in rural areas was constructed using the three-stage feasible generalized least squares method. Variables from four dimensions-physical capital, financial capital, social capital, and human capital-were included in the sustainable livelihood analysis framework for analysis. The Tobit model was used to analyze the influencing factors of vulnerability to health poverty among women of childbearing age in rural Western China, and the contribution rates of various factors were studied using the Shapley value decomposition method. In 2019 and 2022, under the poverty line standards of $1.90 and $2.15, respectively, the vulnerability to health poverty among rural women of childbearing age exceeded 20%. Tobit regression analysis revealed that the type of drinking water being well water significantly increased the vulnerability to health poverty of rural women of childbearing age (P < 0.05), whereas the separation of housing and kitchen, registered poor households, household loans, annual per capita household income, expenditures on social interactions, educational level, self-assessed health status, respondent age, and the utilization of hospital services significantly reduced the vulnerability to health poverty of rural women of childbearing age (P < 0.05). Shapley's decomposition shows that annual per capita household income, expenditures on social interactions, respondent age, and household loans are the factors contributing most to the vulnerability to health poverty of rural women of childbearing age, while other variables have a smaller contribution rate. The health poverty situation of women of childbearing age in rural Western China is not optimistic. Preintervention for health poverty should be strengthened among rural women of childbearing age, early warning mechanisms for the risk of falling back into poverty due to illness should be established, the precise identification of highly vulnerable rural women of childbearing age should be improved, and the medical insurance system for rural women of childbearing age should be enhanced to help improve their current health poverty situation.