Social Capital and Health Literacy

Social capital and health literacy are two contemporary social determinants of health and well-being. Social capital offers the resources and influence needed to promote and protect health through social networks. In contrast, health literacy describes the knowledge and skills to access and effectively utilize health information to make informed health decisions. However, the connection between these two critical phenomena remains woefully underresearched and theorized. This chapter contributes to debates on the reinforcing relations between social capital and health literacy. It discusses the influence of social capital on health literacy and the mechanisms linking social capital to health literacy at the micro- and societal levels based on theoretical and empirical evidence from the literature. The chapter then presents results of an empirical analyses of data on the association between different forms of social capital (bonding, bridging, and linking social capital and trust in other people) and health literacy among youth (15–24 years) in Ghana. The analysis showed that resources from weak social ties, such as bridging and linking social capital and the extent of trust young people have in others in their communities, are critical to health literacy of the youth. Thus, while social capital and health literacy are fundamental determinants of health in modern societies, exploring and understanding their relationship can be instrumental in enhancing their utility in health and well-being outcomes, particularly among young people. The chapter concludes with reflections on future research directions on social capital and health literacy.