title: Social capital and self-rated health among adolescents in Brazil: an exploratory study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social capital may influence health and the patterns of association differ according its dimension such as cognitive, behavioral, bridging or bonding. There is a few numbers of studies in Latin America which comprise these aspects of social capital and health. The aim of this study was to examine the association between social capital and self-rated health among youth, and distinguish between the different forms of social capital - cognitive versus behavioral, and bonding versus bridging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2009 among working adolescents supported by a Brazilian NGO. The sample comprised 363 individuals and data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire. The outcome, self-rated health, was measured as a dichotomous variable (poor/good health) and fourteen social capital indicators were investigated (cognitive, behavioral and bonding/bridging). Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Cognitive (social support and trust), behavioral (civic participation) and bridging social capital were associated with good self-rated health after adjustment of all the other social capital indicators and confounders (sex, age, skin color and educational background).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social capital was associated with self-rated health and the patterns of association differed according its specific dimensions. Cognitive, behavioral and bridging social capitals were protective for adolescents health living in a developing country context..
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Preventive Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, 6627 Presidente Antônio Carlos Ave, Belo Horizonte, MG 31270-901, Brazil. carolmborges@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Carolina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Ana Cristina V
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: Andrea D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.forename: Efigênia F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawachi