Social capital as a factor that contributes into population health: analytical review

The paper contains a review of both domestic and foreign scientific works that focus on influence exerted by social capital on population health. The authors describe different approaches to interpretations of social capital as an attribute of an individual or a social group. At an individual level, different types of social capital are shown to influence a person's health via his or her involvement into a social group; this social group minimizes adverse effects produced by stress factors (a case in which we can speak about a social capital that “unites”) and provides resources necessary to solve health-related problems (here we speak about a social capital that “brings us together”). The authors highlight that social capital and a social status which an individual or a social group has are interdependent. At a group level, social capital is a mechanism that influences an individual's behavior as regards his or her health. A group can set certain models for health-preserving behavior and apply informal sanctions in case an individual's behavior is deviant thus reducing health risks...