title: Workplace social capital, mental health and health behaviors among Brazilian female workers.
abstract: Previous studies have investigated the relationship between workplace social capital and mental health, yet few have sought to examine the mediating mechanisms. We sought to explore the role of workplace social capital on health related behaviors and on mental health among female employees in Brazil.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 553 women aged 28-50 years working in the production line of a poultry processing plant. We assessed workplace social capital, common mental disorders, stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and health related behaviors (physical activity, healthy eating habits and co-occurrence of risk behaviors). We used structural equation modeling to clarify relationships between exposures, outcomes, and mediating variables.
  
  
  
  Our model demonstrated a direct effect of social capital on the outcomes studied. Higher workplace social capital was associated with lower stress and common mental disorders as well as more favorable health-related behaviors. Our model also showed an indirect effect of social capital on mental health and on behaviors that was mediated by lower levels of perceived stress.
  
  
  
  Workplace social cohesion may play an important role in the promotion of mental health and healthy behaviors among women employees.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos 950, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil. mppattussi@unisinos.br.
authors.forename: Marcos Pascoal
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Pattussi
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos 950, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil.|Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde, Rua Sarmento Leite 245, 90050-170, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Teresa Anselmo
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Olinto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Nutrição, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Medicina, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2400, Rio Branco, Porto Alegre, RS, 9003500, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Canuto
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos 950, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Anderson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: da Silva Garcez
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Coletiva, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, Av. Unisinos 950, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vera Maria Vieira
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Paniz
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Publich Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawachi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D066270:Social Capital; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace
keywords: Health behavior; Mental health; Psychosocial factors; Social capital; Social epidemiology