Associations between Self-Efficacy, Social Capital and Self-Rated Health Status in Healthy Individuals

Kim, Bo Kyoung; Lee, Jin Hyang; Kim, Jang Rak; Jeong, Baek Geun; Park, Ki Soo

Korean J Health Promot > Volume 11(3); 2011 > Article

Original Article

Korean Journal of Health Promotion 2011;11(3):144-153.

Associations between Self-Efficacy, Social Capital and Self-Rated Health Status in Healthy Individuals

Bo Kyoung Kyoung Kim, Jin Hyang Hyang Lee, Jang Rak Rak Kim, Baek Geun Geun Jeong, Ki Soo Soo Park

¹Department of Preventive Medicine, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine, Jinju, Korea. parkks@gnu.ac.kr
²Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Discrepancies exist in the existing researches regarding the association between social capital and self-efficacy, and most of these researches have been done in developed countries. The aims of this study were to assess the independent association between individual social capital and self-efficacy and to assess the associations between individual social capital, self-efficacy and self-rated health. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Gyeongnam health survey (6,500 persons) conducted in 2008. A self-administered questionnaire was additionally administered to gather information on demographic variables, health behaviors, chronic diseases, self-efficacy, social capital, and self-rated health status. Total study population was 3,843 as those with chronic diseases were excluded. RESULTS: In males, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty, and participation was negatively associated with confidence and positively associated with regulation and preference to task difficulty. In females, trust was positively associated with confidence and preference to task difficulty and negatively associated with regulation. Participation was positively associated with preference to task difficulty. In males, the odds for self-rated health status was better for persons with confidence (95% confidence interval, CI 1.088-1.705), trust (95% CI 1.172-1.821) and participation (95% CI 1.268-2.117). In females, the odds for self-rated health status was better for those with confidence (95% CI 1.250-1.803), preference of task difficulty (95% CI 1.019-1.683) and participation (95% CI 1.024-1.555). CONCLUSIONS: High social capital measured at an individual level may promote self-efficacy and health status.

Key Words: Self efficacy, Trust, Participation, Health status