Components of Social Capital and Socio-Psychological Factors That Worsen the Perceived Health of Japanese Males and Females

Components of Social Capital and Socio-Psychological Factors That Worsen the Perceived Health of Japanese Males and Females

HIROKO TSUNODA,¹ RYOZO YOSHINO² and KAZUHITO YOKOYAMA¹

¹Department of Public Health and Occupational Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
²Department of Data Science, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo, Japan

Social capital refers to the quantity and quality of social relationships, such as formal and informal social connections as well as norms of reciprocity and trust that exist in a place or a community. This article analyzed the data from Japan 2004 B Survey in order to elucidate the effects of social capital and socio-psychological factors on the health of Japanese males and females. The Survey was a part of a nationwide random study on Japanese national character, which has been conducted by the Institute of Statistical Mathematics since 1953. A total of 785 (372 males and 413 females) valid data from 1,200 adult samples were used. Logistic regression analysis showed that the self-reported symptoms were increased by negative attitude to generalized trust in males, and by negative attitude to norm of reciprocity in females. Moreover, in females, health dissatisfaction was enhanced by low perceptions of support. In both genders, self-reported symptoms and health dissatisfaction were worsened by anxiety. The self-reported symptoms were increased by an adherence to religion and spirituality in males, whereas in females, the health dissatisfaction increased with low income and a concern about superstitions. Thus, from a viewpoint of social capital, perceived health is susceptible to personal relationships in females and to distrust in males. Anxiety seems a key factor affecting perceived health. In addition, females are influenced by economic status and superstitions, whereas males are more concerned about religion or the mind in relation to health. These findings are useful in developing health policies for Japanese.

keywords —— health dissatisfaction; self-reported symptom; social capital; socio-psychological factors; gender difference.

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2008, 216, 173-185

Correspondence: Kazuhito Yokoyama, MD, Department of Public Health and Occupational Medicine, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edo-bashi, Tsu-shi, Mie 514-8507, Japan.

e-mail: kazuhito@doc.medic.mie-u.ac.jp