Employing Position Generators to Assess Social Capital and Health: A Scoping Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Measurement in Future Population-Based Surveillance

Authors

Steven Meanley, University of Pennsylvania School of NursingFollow
Candice Biernesser, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicineFollow
Teagen O'Malley, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public HealthFollow
Todd Bear, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public HealthFollow
Jeanette Trauth, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public HealthFollow

Keywords

Individual social capital, compositional quality, health survey, position generator

Disciplines

Community Health | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Public Health Education and Promotion

Abstract

Beneficial social connections are critical to individual-level health because they can be used to avoid or minimize the risks and consequences associated with diseases. How to best measure beneficial social connections to inform social network-level health interventions remains poorly understood. A scoping review of health surveillance studies was conducted to highlight the utility of employing position generators to assess how access to beneficial social connections was associated with population health and disparities. Our review yielded 39 articles conducted across 14 predominantly high-income countries. Most studies (77%) with composite measures for beneficial social connections exhibited health-protective associations. Of the remaining articles, half found that greater diversity within one’s network was associated with positive health outcomes. Only eight articles accounted for differences by advantaged statuses, indicating that beneficial connections elicited greater health-protective associations among disadvantaged groups. Employing position generators may inform interventions that seek to reduce health disparities by enhancing social capital in individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Recommended Citation

Meanley, Steven; Biernesser, Candice; O'Malley, Teagen; Bear, Todd; and Trauth, Jeanette (2020) "Employing Position Generators to Assess Social Capital and Health: A Scoping Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Measurement in Future Population-Based Surveillance," Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice: Vol. 13: Iss. 3, Article 2.
Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol13/iss3/2