Social capital interventions targeting older people and their impact on health: a systematic review.
Observational studies show that social capital is a protective health factor. Therefore, we aim to assess the currently unclear health impact of social capital interventions targeting older adults.



We conducted a systematic review based on a logic model. Studies published between January 1980 and July 2015 were retrieved from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science. We included randomised controlled trials targeting participants over 60 years old and focused on social capital or its components (eg, social support and social participation). The comparison group should not promote social capital. We assessed risk of bias and impact on health outcomes and use of health-related resources applying a procedure from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) based on vote-counting and standardised decision rules. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (reference number CRD42014015362).



We examined 17 341 abstracts and included 73 papers reporting 36 trials. Trials were clinically and methodologically diverse and reported positive effects in different contexts, populations and interventions across multiple subjective and objective measures. According to sufficiently reported outcomes, social capital interventions showed mixed effects on quality of life, well-being and self-perceived health and were generally ineffective on loneliness, mood and mortality. Eight trials with high quality showed favourable impacts on overall, mental and physical health, mortality and use of health-related resources.



Our review highlights the lack of evidence and the diversity among trials, while supporting the potential of social capital interventions to reach comprehensive health effects in older adults.
Fundació Salut i Envelliment (Foundation on Health and Ageing), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.|Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.
Laura
L
Coll-Planas
Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Social Policy, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland.
Fredrica
F
Nyqvist
Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.|Servicio de Epidemiología Clínica y Salud Pública, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Teresa
T
Puig
Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
Gerard
G
Urrútia
Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.|CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain.
Ivan
I
Solà
Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain.|Equip d'Atenció Primària Sardenya, EAP Sardenya, Barcelona, Spain.
Rosa
R
Monteserín
D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D066270:Social Capital; D058992:Social Participation; D012944:Social Support
AGEING; HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT; RANDOMISED TRIALS; SOCIAL CAPITAL; SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS