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Bridging social capital among Facebook users and COVID-19 cases growth in Arizona

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  • Boby, Maria
  • Oh, Hyunsung
  • Marsiglia, Flavio
  • Liu, Li

Abstract

Social capital is an important social determinant of health, more specifically bridging social capital, which connects individuals and communities across societal divides. This article reports on the findings of a study about the relationship between bridging social capital and COVID-19 infection trends within the state of Arizona from October 2020 to November 2021. Economic connectedness (EC), derived from Facebook friendship connections, served as a measure of aggregated bridging social capital among residents in each ZCTA (ZIP code tabulation area). Analysis of 192 ZCTAs in Arizona revealed that below-median SES individuals had fewer above-median SES friends (mean EC = 0.86). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the correlation between EC and biweekly COVID-19 case growth, adjusting for other social determinants of health. Results showed that higher EC was associated with slower biweekly COVID-19 case growth (p < 0.001). This suggests that bridging social capital plausibly facilitated members of underserved and vulnerable groups to better access health-related information during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby reducing the risks of infection during the pandemic. These findings suggest that promoting bridging social capital, particularly through social network sites, could be leveraged during early phase of public health crisis. The article concludes by recommending to strengthening bridging social capital for individuals with limited access to public health information and medical care.

Suggested Citation

  • Boby, Maria & Oh, Hyunsung & Marsiglia, Flavio & Liu, Li, 2024. "Bridging social capital among Facebook users and COVID-19 cases growth in Arizona," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 360(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:360:y:2024:i:c:s0277953624007676
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117313
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Raj Chetty & Matthew O. Jackson & Theresa Kuchler & Johannes Stroebel & Nathaniel Hendren & Robert B. Fluegge & Sara Gong & Federico Gonzalez & Armelle Grondin & Matthew Jacob & Drew Johnston & Martin, 2022. "Social capital I: measurement and associations with economic mobility," Nature, Nature, vol. 608(7921), pages 108-121, August.
    2. Jay J. Xu & Jarvis T. Chen & Thomas R. Belin & Ronald S. Brookmeyer & Marc A. Suchard & Christina M. Ramirez, 2021. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Years of Potential Life Lost Attributable to COVID-19 in the United States: An Analysis of 45 States and the District of Columbia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-29, March.
    3. Raj Chetty & Matthew O. Jackson & Theresa Kuchler & Johannes Stroebel & Nathaniel Hendren & Robert B. Fluegge & Sara Gong & Federico Gonzalez & Armelle Grondin & Matthew Jacob & Drew Johnston & Martin, 2022. "Social capital II: determinants of economic connectedness," Nature, Nature, vol. 608(7921), pages 122-134, August.
    4. Oh, Hyunsung & Jeong, Chung Hyeon, 2017. "Korean immigrants don't buy health insurance: The influences of culture on self-employed Korean immigrants focusing on structure and functions of social networks," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 194-201.
    5. Villalonga-Olives, E. & Kawachi, I., 2017. "The dark side of social capital: A systematic review of the negative health effects of social capital," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 105-127.
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