Social Capital, Community Capacity, and Health.

Abstract

The capacity to practice health behavior is different for each individual. Community capacity and social capital deal with understanding the relationship between community members and with the factors that promote or delay collective activities. This study examines existing literature in relation to social capital, health, and community capacity. Bonding social capital shows the average value of the extent to which individuals trust each other and participate in groups, whereas bridging social capital shows the average value of the extent to which individuals participate in different formal groups. Community capacity seeks mutual cooperation based on trust, and cohesion minimizes community problems, and it has become evident that such capacity is a useful tool for health improvement.