The impact of social capital and social support on the health of female-headed households

A systematic review

Authors

  • Nourossadat Kariman Ph.D. of Reproductive Health, Assistant Professor, Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Keywords:

Head of household, Female, Social capital, Social support, Health

Abstract

Background and aim: Social capital and social support as determinants of health play an important role in the
health of female heads of households. Considering the increasing number of female-headed families in Iran and
the world, this study was conducted to systematically review the impact of social capital and social support on the
health of female heads of households.
Methods: This study was conducted as a systematic review in September 2016. Its data were collected from
available papers in different databases including Iranmedex, Magiran, Scientific Information Database (SID),
Irandoc, Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed and Google Scholar. Using advanced search, all published papers from
2000 to 2015 with full text were selected using related keywords. After reviewing by browsers and adapting to
the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 15 papers were entered into the study. The Strengthening the Reporting of
Observational Studies in epidemiology (STROBE) checklist was used to evaluate the quality of papers.
Results: Based on the findings of these studies, there was a significant relationship between social capital and its
components (trust, sense of belonging and social participation) as well as all aspects of health. Additionally,
social support and its dimensions (emotional, instrumental and informational) affected health; however, among
these dimensions, instrumental support of a stronger predictor was concerned with health, especially mental
health.
Conclusion: Social factors such as social capital and social support are effective on human health, particularly
health of female-headed households, since they affect proactive identity and increase information resources,
collaboration as well as collective decisions and actions. Furthermore, they provide emotional and instrumental
support to group members and prevent further health problems.

References

Zare H, Mehman-Navazan A. The effect of encouraging the promotion of general self-efficacy and

resilience of women heads of households. Journal of Women and Family. 2015; 1: 37-57.

Shahriyari E, Saadatmand Z, Fatehi-Zadeh M, Shahnaz M. Survey the training needs of female heads of

household who work education. Journal of Women and Society. 2013; 3: 29-45.

Herbst CM. Footloose and fancy free? Two decades of single mothers’ subjective well-being. Social

Service Review. 2012; 86(2): 189-222. doi: 10.1086/666390.

Azam-Azade M, Tafteh M. Female-headed households account the obstacles to happiness. Journal of

Women and Family Studies. 2016; 2: 33-60.

Tavakol M, Maghsoodi S. Social capital and mental health, causal mechanisms and models and interactive.

Journal of Social Welfare. 2010; 42: 173-202.

Reutter L, Kushner KE. Health equity through action on the social determinants of health’: taking up the

challenge in nursing. Nursing Inquiry. 2010; 17(3): 269-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1800.2010.00500.x.

PMID: 20712665.

Marmot M. Closing the health gap in a generation: the work of the Commission on Social Determinants of

Health and its recommendations. Global Health Promotion. 2009; 16(1 suppl): 23-7. doi:

1177/1757975909103742. PMID: 19477825.

Marmot MG, Bell R. Action on health disparities in the United States: commission on social determinants

of health. JAMA. 2009; 301(11): 1169-71. doi: 10.1001/jama.2009.363. PMID: 19293419.

Riyahi M. How social capital impact on physical and mental health of citizens. Journal of Political

Economy. 2011; 286: 198-215.

Campbell C, Williams B, Gilgen D. Is social capital a useful conceptual tool for exploring community level

influences on HIV infection? An exploratory case study from South Africa. AIDS Care. 2002; 14(1): 41- 54. doi: 10.1080/09540120220097928. PMID: 11798404.

Misra R, Crist M, Burant CJ. Relationships Among Life Stress, Social Support, Academic Stressors, and

Reactions to Stressors of International Students in the United States. International Journal of Stress

Management. 2003; 10(2): 137. doi: 10.1037/1072-5245.10.2.137.

Writing Committee for the ENRICHD Investigators. Effects of treating depression and low perceived

social support on clinical events after myocardial infarction. ACC Current Journal Review. 2003; 12(5):

-3. doi: 10.1016/j.accreview.2003.08.068.

Sarason IG. Social support: Theory, research and applications: Springer Science & Business Media; 2013.

Chant S. Female household headship and the feminisation of poverty: facts, fictions and forward strategies.

Garoosi S, Shabestari S. Study the relationship between social capital and mental health among female- headed households in Kerman. Journal of Social Studies. 2011; 5.

Mahmud S. Women and the transformation of domestic spaces for income generation in Dhaka bustees.

Cities. 2003; 20(5): 321-9. doi: 10.1016/S0264-2751(03)00049-0.

Stewart-Withers R. Contesting a Third World development category: Female-headed households in Samoa.

Women's Studies International Forum. 2011. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.wsif.2010.11.003.

Harpham T, Grant E, Thomas E. Measuring social capital within health surveys: key issues. Health policy

and planning. 2002; 17(1): 106-11. doi: 10.1093/heapol/17.1.106. PMID: 11861592.

Sam-Aram E, Amini-Yakhdani M. Health status of women heads of household under welfare organization

in Qom. Journal promote women Shi. 2009; 6: 133-60.

Edrisi F, Hatamvand Z. Evaluate the impact of employment on the quality of life of female-headed

households. Journal of social sciences. 2012; 6: 97-127.

Cairney J, Boyle M, Offord DR, Racine Y. Stress, social support and depression in single and married

mothers. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology. 2003; 38(8): 442-9. doi: 10.1007/s00127-003- 0661-0. PMID: 12910340.

Israel BA, Farquhar SA, Schulz AJ, James SA, Parker EA. The relationship between social support, stress,

and health among women on Detroit’s East Side. Health Education & Behavior. 2002; 29(3): 342-60. doi:

1177/109019810202900306. PMID: 12038743.

Kim DS, Jeon GS, Jang SN. Socioeconomic status, social support and self-rated health among lone mothers

in South Korea. International journal of public health. 2010; 55(6): 551-9. doi: 10.1007/s00038-010-0169- 9. PMID: 20614228.

Schulz AJ, Israel BA, Zenk SN, Parker EA, Lichtenstein R, Shellman-Weir S, et al. Psychosocial stress and

social support as mediators of relationships between income, length of residence and depressive symptoms

among African American women on Detroit's eastside. Social Science & Medicine. 2006; 62(2): 510-22.

doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.06.028. PMID: 16081196.

Westin M, Westerling R. Social capital and inequality in health between single and couple parents in

Sweden. Scandinavian journal of public health. 2007; 35(6): 609-17. doi: 10.1080/14034940701362806.

PMID: 17852994.

Hernandez RL, Aranda BE, Ramirez MTG. Depression and quality of life for women in single-parent and

nuclear families. The Spanish journal of psychology. 2009; 12(01): 171-83. doi:

1017/S113874160000158X.

Shabanzade A, Zare B, Abadi M, Hatami H, Zahrakar K. The relationship between coping styles and social

support, quality Female-headed households living in Tehran. Journal of women and society. 2014; 4: 1-20.

Baladchi T, Forozan A, Rafiei H. Quality of life of female-headed households and women who work under

welfare organization services. Journal of Social Welfare. 2011; 11: 9-28.

Crosier T, Butterworth P, Rodgers B. Mental health problems among single and partnered mothers. Social

psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology. 2007; 42(1): 6-13. doi: 10.1007/s00127-006-0125-4 PMID:

Hemati E, Mahdavi M, Baghaei-Sarabi A. Effect of social support on the health of women heads of

household Journal of Social Research. 2013; 6: 45-62.

Hosseini-Haji bakande A, Taghipoor M. The effect of social support on social health of women heads of

households. Journal of Social Research. 2010; 7: 139-59.

Hamidi F. Relationship between Social support and mental health among female- headed households

employed a military university. Journal of Military Psychology. 2010; 1(51-60).

Hosseini SJF, Mirdamadi SM, Nejad G, Reza G. Extension and education factors influencing the success of

entrepreneurship among rural women in Northern Iran. Research Journal of Biological Sciences. 2009;

(9): 976-3.

Mulvaney-Day NE, Alegria M, Sribney W. Social cohesion, social support, and health among Latinos in

the United States. Social science & medicine. 2007; 64(2): 477-95. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.08.030.

PMID: 17049701.

Dayapoglu N, Tan M. Quality of life in stroke patients. Neurology India. 2010; 58(5): 697. doi:

4103/0028-3886.72165.

Vazquez I, Valderrabano F, Fort J, Jofre R, Lopez-Gomez JM, Moreno F, et al. Psychosocial factors and

health-related quality of life in hemodialysis patients. Quality of Life Research. 2005; 14(1): 179-90.

PMID: 15789952.

Drentea P, Clay OJ, Roth DL, Mittelman MS. Predictors of improvement in social support: Five-year

effects of a structured intervention for caregivers of spouses with Alzheimer's disease. Social science &

medicine. 2006; 63(4): 957-67. dio: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.02.020. PMID: 16616406.

Hemati R, Rahimi-Aliabadi A. Investigate the relationship between social support and mental health. Social

science studies. 2014; 10: 105-19.

Rimaz S, Mohammad K, Dastoorpoor M, Jamshidi E, Majdzadeh R. Investigation of relationship between

social capital and quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients. Global journal of health science. 2014; 6(6):

doi: 10.5539/gjhs.v6n6p261. PMID: 25363095.

Afkhe SA, Sam-Aram M. The public health impact on job satisfaction. Journal of Social Welfare and

Development Planning. 2010; 3: 1-30.

Keyes CL. The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of health and

social behavior. 2002: 207-22. doi: 10.2307/3090197. PMID: 12096700.

Published

2022-02-12