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Social capital affects the health of older people more strongly than that of younger people

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2012

JOHANNA MUCKENHUBER ,
WILLIBALD J. STRONEGGER  and
WOLFGANG FREIDL
JOHANNA MUCKENHUBER*
Affiliation:
Medical University Graz, Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Graz, Austria.
WILLIBALD J. STRONEGGER
Affiliation:
Medical University Graz, Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Graz, Austria.
WOLFGANG FREIDL
Affiliation:
Medical University Graz, Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Graz, Austria.
*
Address for correspondence: Johanna Muckenhuber, Medical University Graz, Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Universitätsstr. 6/1, Graz 8010, Austria. E-mail: johanna.muckenhuber@medunigraz.at
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Abstract

The study examines whether social capital affects health of older people more strongly than it affects health of younger individuals. Following Pierre Bourdieu's concept, social capital has been analysed on a cognitive dimension, distinguishing between institutional and informal social capital. The analysis is based on the data of the Austrian Health Interview Survey 2006–07 with a representative sample of 15,575 people. Multivariate linear regression models were calculated. Measures of health and social capital were operationalised by indices based on the quality of life inventory of the World Health Organization, the WHOQOL-Brief questionnaire. The analysis has shown institutional social capital to be significantly more important for health of older people (60 years or older) than for younger people. There is a gender difference in the interaction between informal social capital and age in their association with psychological health. In contrast to the sub-sample of women, the psychological health of older men is more strongly affected by a lack of informal social capital than that of younger men. Institutional social capital is of special importance for the health of older people. Therefore health-promotion activities for older people should include activities to strengthen their social capital.

Keywords

social capitalhealtholder people
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 33 , Issue 5 , July 2013 , pp. 853 - 870
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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