scholarly journals Impacts of Social Capital Factors on Blood Glucose Control and Depressive Symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 629-629
Author(s):  
Tingzhong (Michelle) Xue ◽  
Zahra Rahmaty ◽  
Eleanor McConnell ◽  
Yingzhi (Lindsay) Xu ◽  
Kirsten Corazzini

Abstract Social capital, conceptualized as resources arising from social networks, is receiving increased attention for its role in prevention and management of chronic conditions such as diabetes and depression that commonly co-occur. Although social capital has been linked to control of blood glucose and depression, previous research has not considered these two outcomes simultaneously while distinguishing between cognitive (i.e., perceived social support, shared values and trust in community) and structural (i.e., social connectedness and participation) domains. This study examined how these two domains of social capital relate to glucose control and depressive symptoms, and whether physical exercise and care access mediate those relationships, using structural equation modeling. The sample included 3,043 older adults aged 57 and above from wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project. Although a higher level of cognitive social capital was associated with higher levels of physical exercise (b=.38, p<.001), access to care (b=.40, p=.007), lower levels of blood glucose (b=-.43, p<.001) and depressive symptoms (b=-.84, p<.001), a higher level of structural social capital was associated only with a higher level of physical exercise (b=.16, p=.002). The mediating effects of physical exercise and access to care were not significant. Findings suggest that cognitive social capital may have greater influence on blood glucose and depressive symptoms than structural social capital, and therefore have different implications for practice, especially in the context of pandemic-related disruptions to social capital. Future research should examine other mediators and investigate how promotion of cognitive social capital might improve health outcomes.

Author(s):  
Qian Sun ◽  
Nan Lu

Although social capital has been found to be an important social determinant of mental health in later life, research on social capital in the context of COVID-19 and the interplay among subdimensions of social capital is lacking. The present study examined the mediating role of cognitive social capital on the relationship between structural social capital and mental health among older adults in urban China in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from the Yangpu district in Shanghai, China, in July–August 2020. A quota sampling approach was used to recruit 472 respondents aged 60 years and older from 23 communities in the Yangpu district. Mental health was measured by depressive symptoms and life satisfaction. Cognitive social capital was assessed through trust and reciprocity, and structural social capital was assessed through organization memberships, and COVID-19 related volunteering and citizenship activity. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediation model. The results show that cognitive social capital had a full mediation effect on the association between structural social capital and mental health indicators (life satisfaction: b = 0.122, SD = 0.029, p < 0.001; depressive symptoms: b = −0.343, SD = 0.119, p < 0.01). The findings indicate that social capital can play an important role in sustaining and improving mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyi Li ◽  
Mengyao Yang

Exploring the social factors of mental health among older adults has become a hot topic. This study aimed to examine the relationships between internet use, social capital and depressive symptoms in older adults. Our data were derived from a sample of 6,840 respondents aged 60 and over in the 2018 wave of the China Family Panel Studies. The ordinary least square (OLS) regression results showed that both Internet use characteristics (including access, emotional activities, and online time) and social capital components (including contact with adult children and trust) were protective factors for the prevention of depressive symptoms among older adults. The generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) results displayed that Internet use not only had a negatively direct effect on depressive symptoms, but also generated a negatively indirect effect on depressive symptoms by structural social capital (i.e., contact with adult children), suggesting that structural social capital mediated the above link. Conversely, the indirect effects of internet use on depressive symptoms via cognitive social capital (i.e., interpersonal trust and institutional trust) were significantly positive, indicating that the relationship between Internet use and depressive symptoms was suppressed by cognitive social capital. These findings address the gaps in previous research on older adults' mental health and have practical implications for policy makers.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Nan Lu ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Yaolin Pei ◽  
Changmin Peng

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study examined the relationships between social capital, perceived neighborhood environment, and depressive symptoms among older adults living in rural China, and the moderating effect of self-rated health (SRH) in these relationships. Participants: A quota sampling method was applied to recruit 447 participants aged 60 years and older in rural communities in Jilin province, China in 2019. Measurements: Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to build latent constructs of social capital and test the proposed model. Multiple group analysis was used to test the moderation effects. Results: Cognitive social capital and structural social capital were both associated with depressive symptoms controlling for participants’ demographics, socioeconomic status, and health status. After adding perceived environment variables in the model, the relationship between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms became nonsignificant, while structural social capital remained became a significant factor (β = −.168, p < .01). Satisfaction with health care was significantly associated with depressive symptoms among those with poor SRH (β = −.272, p < .01), whereas satisfaction with security and transportation were strongly associated with depressive symptoms among those with good SRH (security: β = −.148, p < .01; transportation: β = −.174, p < .01). Conclusions: Study findings highlighted the importance of social capital and neighborhood environment as potential protective factors of depressive symptoms in later life. Policy and intervention implications were also discussed.


Author(s):  
Jingyue Zhang ◽  
Nan Lu

The present study investigated individual-level determinants of community social capital among older adults in urban China, with a particular emphasis on health and family social capital. A quota sampling method was used to select 456 adults aged 60 or older from 16 local communities in the city of Suzhou in 2015. Multiple indicators and multiple courses in structural equation modeling were used to examine the proposed model. Latent constructs of community social capital (i.e., cognitive social capital and structural social capital) were established. The results showed that family social capital and instrumental activities of daily living were the most influential determinants of cognitive social capital, whereas activities of daily living and socioeconomic status were the most important determinants of structural social capital. We demonstrate the application of social capital theory in an urban Chinese context. Future policy development and social work interventions should use a more comprehensive social capital latent constructs and health indicators as screening instruments. The promotion of family social capital could play an important role in enhancing cognitive social capital among older adults.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Lu ◽  
Jingyue Zhang

Social capital and healthy aging are both crucial for social sustainability in China. The present study tested the role of structural social capital in self-rated health among older urban Chinese adults and the influence of cognitive social capital on this relationship. A sample of 456 older adults aged 60 or older in Suzhou, China, were recruited and completed the survey in 2015. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Cognitive social capital had larger effects on self-rated health than structural social capital. The relationship between structural social capital and self-rated health was fully mediated by cognitive social capital, when sociodemographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, physical health conditions, and living arrangements were controlled. The culturally sensitive latent construct of community-based social capital proved to be a valid instrument in urban Chinese contexts. Structural social capital likely indirectly affects self-rated health through cognitive social capital. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.


Author(s):  
Nan Lu ◽  
Shicun Xu ◽  
Qinghong Zhou

The present study examines the association between cognitive social capital and structural social capital and aging-in-place among older adults living in rural Northeastern Chinese communities. Data were derived from a survey conducted in Dongliao County, Jilin Province, China, in late 2019. A quota sampling approach was used to recruit 458 respondents aged 60 years and older. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the proposed model. The results show that the measurement models of cognitive social capital and structural social capital were established in rural Chinese communities. Structural social capital was found to have a higher effect on aging in place than cognitive social capital (structural social capital: β = 0.241, p < 0.001; cognitive social capital: β = 0.118, p < 0.05). The findings highlight the crucial role both cognitive and structural social capital play in affecting the preference for aging in place among older rural Chinese adults. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyoung Kim ◽  
Kiseol Yang ◽  
Xin Zeng ◽  
Hwa-Ping Cheng

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate (1) how female blog users' perceived benefits (i.e. perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, community identification and perceived norm of reciprocity) influence their perceived social capital on fashion blogs, (2) the influence of structural social capital and cognitive social capital on users' relational social capital and (3) the influence of relational social capital on blog loyalty.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was performed using 530 useable data collected through an online survey.FindingsThe result indicated that perceived usefulness and the norm of reciprocity led to the development of cognitive social capital, while community identification and the norm of reciprocity led to the development of structural social capital. Cognitive and structural social capital both led to the development relational social capital, which in turn influenced blog loyalty.Originality/valueThis study provides insights for a fashion brand marketing strategy that uses fashion blogs to target relevant consumers. It helps firms to understand the factors that lead people to embed their resources in a blog and to learn how the different perceived benefits impact blog users' contributions to the community.


Author(s):  
Agus Kartono ◽  
Febri Dwi Irawati ◽  
Ardian Arif Setiawan ◽  
Heriyanto Syafutra ◽  
Tony Sumaryada

<p><strong>Objective: </strong>In this paper, the modified minimal model (MM) with a mathematical function for describing the insulin infusion rates was used to study of the effects of physical exercise on the dynamics of glucose and insulin on the insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), including type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) procedure, a dose of glucose was administered intravenously to overnight-fasted subjects, 20 min after the glucose bolus, insulin was injected over 1-2 min either into the portal vein or into the femoral vein, and subsequently the glucose and insulin concentrations in plasma were frequently sampled (usually 30 times) over a period of 180 min. The dynamic glucose and insulin responses to glucose and insulin injection were analysed using the modified MM without and with physical exercise from IVGTT data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our simulation results shown physical exercise improved blood glucose control and enhanced insulin sensitivity (<em>S<sub>I</sub></em>) index in subjects with T1DM and T2DM. However, the T1DM and T2DM subjects need to be aware of the basic strategies to prevent hypoglycemia and maintain reasonable glucose control. It should be noted that the putative improvement in exercise-induced peripheral <em>S<sub>I</sub></em> index in subjects with T1DM and T2DM was not always coincidental with the improvement of the insulin dosage.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The feature increased physical exercise, along with knowledge about how to modify daily insulin dosage to prevent hypoglycemia, improved blood glucose control and enhanced <em>S<sub>I</sub></em> index. </p>


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqian Gao ◽  
Philip R Khoury ◽  
Connie E McCoy ◽  
Amy S Shah ◽  
Thomas R Kimball ◽  
...  

Introduction: Increased carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) is associated with cardiovascular (CV) events in adults. Thicker cIMT is found in youth with elevated CV risk factors including obesity although biologically plausible reasons for a direct effect are not clear. We hypothesized that obesity affects cIMT only indirectly through other CV risk factors and this could be demonstrated with use of structural equation modeling (SEM). Methods: Ultrasound of the right and left common, bulb and internal carotid arteries was performed in 784 adolescent and young adults (10-24 years old, 65% female, 41% Caucasian, 32% T2DM). Demographics, anthropometrics and fasting laboratory data were collected. Traditional multiple regression analyses (MRA) were performed to assess independent determinants of cIMT. Analyses were then repeated with SEM. Results: MRA models explained 11%-22% of variation of common, bulb and internal cIMT. Obesity, age, sex and SBP z-score were significant determinants of all cIMT segments. Race, presence of T2DM, HbA1c and non-HDL contributed for some segments. In SEM, latent variable “cIMT” was used to represent the 3 segments of cIMT. Latent variable “BP” was extracted from SBP and DBP z-score. Latent variable “BGC” (blood glucose control) was extracted from fasting glucose and HbA1c. The final SEM explained a larger amount of the variance of cIMT (43%). The largest direct effect on cIMT was age followed by BP, blood glucose control and non-HDL. BMI, another central risk factor in the pathway towards atherosclerosis, only had a significant indirect effect through blood glucose control, BP & non-HDL. CRP had a small indirect effect through blood glucose control. We conclude that traditional CV risk factors have important direct effects on cIMT in adolescents and young adults but adiposity exerts its influence only through other CV risk factors. SEM may be a useful tool in modeling complex biological pathways.


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