Social capital and its impact on individual health

Social capital represents the degree of social cohesion in communities. It refers to the processes between people that establish networks, norms and social trust, and facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit (WHO, 1998). The social capital of a society includes the institutions, the relationships, the attitudes and values that govern interactions among people and contribute to economic and social development. Quality of life is directly influenced by the quality of social relationships. Social capital is a reflection of cohesiveness of social networks and is considered significant determinant of health outcomes. Recent studies on social capital and population health suggest that the differences in economic outcomes (at individual, household, and state levels) cannot be explained fully by differences in traditional (natural, human, and physical) capital. Social capital is rapidly recognized as social determinants of health and has been linked to individual health through a number of ways including health information and habits. This paper empirically examines the role of community's social capital in the individual's health production function. In present investigation an effort will be made to focus on health measures relating to physical as well as mental health and to explore the relationship between social capital and health, interrelationships between social and human capital in the production of health will be measured.