Types of social capital in relation to self-rated health: Gender differences in a nationally representative cross-sectional study of South Korean adults

Socio-economic and cultural transformations in South Korea have led to societal heterogeneity, potentially changing the role of social capital. We examined whether six factors (i.e. group membership, out-group trust, civic responsibility, acceptance, political activism, and institutional trust) that represent bonding, bridging, and linking social capital are associated with self-rated health (SRH), and whether these associations vary by gender. We analysed data from 8,000 adults in the Korea Social Integration Survey. We first conducted exploratory and confirmatory analyses to create and verify a social capital scale. Then, we performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to study how each type of social capital was related to SRH, adjusting for survey design and sampling weights. High levels of group membership and civic responsibility were associated with good SRH among men only, while high levels of out-group trust, acceptance, and institutional trust were associated with good SRH only for women. High levels of political activism were negatively related to good SRH for both men and women. Overall, associations between different types of social capital and SRH differed by gender in the South Korean context; thus, men and women may benefit from health interventions that enhance different forms of social capital.

Automated summary

Socio-economic and cultural transformations in South Korea have led to changes in the role of social capital, and the relationship between different types of social capital and self-rated health varies by gender. Therefore, men and women may benefit from different forms of social capital in terms of health interventions.