Multi-Level Social Capital and Subjective Wellbeing Among the Elderly: Understanding the Effect of Family, Workplace, Community, and Society Social Capital

Cognitive Social Capital in Community and Mental Health of the Elderly in China: The Moderating Effect of Age, Education, and Income

Background: With the increasingly severe trend of population aging, the well-being of the elderly is receiving growing attention. This study aimed to investigate the association between cognitive social capital in the community (familiarity with community members, trust in community members, and sense of security in the community where they live) and the mental health among older individuals in China and to examine how age, education, and income moderate this relationship. Methods: To achieve this, we utilized nationally representative data (n = 2301) from the China Labor-Force Dynamics Survey (CLDS) 2018, and we assessed whether older adults' mental health was associated with cognitive social capital in the community. Cognitive social capital includes familiarity with and trust in other members living in the same community together with the sense of security within the community where the older individuals reside. The marginal effect was applied to analyze how age, education, and income moderate the impact of community-based cognitive social capital on the mental health of older individuals. Results: Our findings indicate that the cognitive social capital within communities is significantly linked to the mental health of older adults. Additionally, age, education, and income serve as crucial moderators in this relationship. Conclusions: Strategies to enhance the cognitive social capital of older adults in the community are beneficial for their mental health, which deserves policymakers' further attention.

The importance of childhood social capitals in the future well-being of children

Introduction

Elucidating the enduring effects of childhood social capital is vital for shaping future well-being. Here, we investigate the impact of childhood social capital (SC) and parental engagement on adult psychological well-being and cognitive performance.

Methods

Utilizing a cohort of 292 Japanese university students, we assessed the influences of SC and parental time during childhood on adult outcomes. Participants retrospectively reported their early childhood experiences, focusing on social interactions and parental involvement.

Results

Our findings reveal a significant positive correlation between childhood SC and adult subjective well-being, particularly in its positive dimensions. Additionally, maternal involvement during childhood is associated with cognitive abilities in adulthood, as measured by Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis highlights the substantial impact of childhood SC on adult well-being, elucidating the intricate interplay between social and parental contributions to developmental trajectories.

Discussion

These results highlight the crucial roles of both parental and non-parental figures in fostering social, emotional, and cognitive development from childhood to adulthood, underscoring the importance of nurturing supportive relationships throughout early life to promote positive developmental outcomes.

Cultural adaptation and validation of Japanese medical resident version of the workplace social capital scale: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The Workplace Social Capital (WSC) Scale is the most frequently used tool for measuring social capital at work in Western countries. However, there are no corresponding tools for assessing WSC among medical trainees in Japan. Thus, this study was conducted to develop the Japanese medical resident version of the WSC (JMR-WSC) Scale and examine its validity and reliability.

METHODS

The Japanese version of the WSC Scale by Odagiri et al. was reviewed and the scale was partially modified for use in the Japanese context of postgraduate medical education. To verify the validity and reliability of the JMR-WSC Scale, a cross-sectional survey was performed in 32 hospitals across Japan. Postgraduate trainees (years 1-6) at the participating hospitals responded to the online questionnaire on a voluntary basis. We tested the structural validity through confirmatory factor analysis. We also examined criterion-related validity and internal consistency reliability of the JMR-WSC Scale.

RESULTS

In all, 289 trainees completed the questionnaire. The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the JMR-WSC Scale's structural validity on the same two-factor model as that of the original WSC Scale. Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjustment for gender and postgraduate years, trainees with good self-rated health had a significantly elevated odds ratio for good WSC. Cronbach's alpha coefficients showed acceptable internal consistency reliability.

CONCLUSIONS

We successfully developed the JMR-WSC Scale and examined its validity and reliability. Our scale could be used to measure social capital in postgraduate medical training settings in Japan to help prevent burnout and reduce patient safety incidents.

Urban Green Space and Subjective Well-Being of Older People: A Systematic Literature Review

A growing number of articles have identified and reported the benefits and importance of urban green spaces for improving human well-being, but there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the impact of urban green spaces on the subjective well-being of older adults. The literature search (August 2015-August 2022) was derived from two major scientific databases, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. As a result, 2558 articles were found, 1527 of which were retrieved from WOS and the rest from Google Scholar. Bibliometric methods and VOSviewer software were used to screen and organize the articles in the relevant fields. Finally, 65 articles met the review criteria. The included studies aim to capture the benefits of various features of urban green spaces in meeting or enhancing the subjective well-being needs of older adults. The results of our review further support the existence of a strong link between older adults' subjective well-being and various features of urban green spaces, providing new insights for future in-depth reexamination and policy development. Furthermore, the relationship between urban green spaces and older adults' subjective well-being depends not only on the urban green spaces themselves but also on the characteristics of the older adult population that uses them.

Association between social capital and depression among older adults of different genders: Evidence from Hangzhou, China

In China, it is critical to help older adults cope with depression due to the emerging impacts of factors such as increased life expectancy and the "one-child" family planning policy. Meanwhile, differences in retirement age have different effects on health in older adults of different gender. The relationship of gender differences in social capital and depression across the elderly population was unclear. Focusing on this demographic, this study conducted a telephone survey to explore the relationship between social capital and depression. Referring to electronic medical records, we randomly selected 1,042 elderly respondents (426 men, 616 women) from four areas in Hangzhou. We used social capital measurements and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) to assess social capital and depression, respectively, then employed a multivariate logistic regression and structural equation modeling to examine the associations between factors, along with a consideration of gender. This study was discovered that differences in both income and morbidity contributed to differences in social capital and depression. In our sample of elderly respondents, we also found gender-based differences in cognitive and structural social capital. Compared to men, women were more likely to attain higher social capital and less likely to develop depression. At the same time, social networking and social engagement had negative impacts on depression in women, which was not the case for men. We found that lower reciprocity (men and women), social work (men), and trust (women) indicated higher risks of depression. Reciprocity and social networks were significantly and negatively correlated with depression among male respondents; in the male model, factors of trust, reciprocity, and social participation had positive effects on reducing the risk of depression, while social networks had a negative effect. For elderly persons, these findings suggest that mental health is affected by differences in social capital caused by policy differences and cultural differences caused by gender differences.