Social network resources and self-rated health in a deprived Danish neighborhood

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that living in a deprived neighborhood contributes to the occurrence and development of poor health. Furthermore evidence shows that social networks are fundamental resources in preventing poor mental health. Neighborhood relationships and networks are vital for sustaining and improving quality of life. However, to determine potentials for public health action, the health impact of various types of network resources need to be explored and the association between socioeconomic position and self-rated health needs to be analysed to determine whether it is partially explained by social network resources. This is the main aim of this article. Cross-sectional data from one deprived neighborhood located in Denmark were collected in 2008 and 2013 using a postal health survey. The target group was defined as adults older than 16 years. In 2008, 408 residents participated in the survey, and 405 residents participated in 2013. Our main explanatory variables were indicators of socioeconomic positions and social network resources. The analyses were conducted using univariate and bivariate analyses and multiple logistic regressions. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in respondents being involuntarily alone during the period from 2008 to 2013. An impact of the association between disposable income and self-rated health was found, showing that low income residents with a better social network also have slightly higher odds of having good self-rated health compared with residents with higher income. This investigation is the first Danish study that repeats a health survey in the same neighborhood to measure possible improvement in health among residents. More longitudinal research is needed in the future to explore the complex relationship between social network resources, social capital and health in neighborhoods.