title: Social Capital as a Determinant of Self-Rated Health in Women of Reproductive Age: A Population-Based Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recognition of the factors related to women's health is necessary. Evidence is available that the social structure including social capital plays an important role in the shaping people's health. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association between self-rated health and social capital in women of reproductive age.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a population-based cross-sectional survey on 770 women of reproductive age, residing in any one of the 22 municipality areas across Tehran (capital of Iran) with the multi stage sampling technique. Self-rated health (Dependent variable), social capital (Independent variable) and covariates were studied. Analysis of data was done by one-way ANOVA test and multiple linear regressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depending on logistic regression analyses, the significant associations were found between self-rated health and age, educational level, crowding index, sufficiency of income for expenses and social cohesion. Data show that women with higher score in social cohesion as an outcome dimension of social capital have better self-rated health (PV = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the findings of this study, the dimensions of social capital manifestations (groups and networks, trust and solidarity, collective action and cooperation) can potentially lead to the dimensions of social capital outcomes (social cohesion and inclusion, and empowerment and political action). Following that, social cohesion as a dimension of social capital outcomes has positively relationship with self- rated health after controlling covariates. Therefore, it is required to focus on the social capital role on health promotion and health policies.
authors.forename: Azam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baheiraei
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bakouei
authors.forename: Sareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakouei
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eskandari
authors.affiliation: . ahmari9929@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hoda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahmari Tehran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003441:Crowding; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007492:Iran; D008875:Middle Aged; D066270:Social Capital; D012944:Social Support