Prediction of Health based on the Social Support and Social Capital among Patients Visiting a Public Hospital in Afghanistan

Ghawsi, Elham; Ghavami, Vahid; Varmaghani, Mehdi; Mohammadnabizadeh, Sahar

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فصلنامه آموزش بهداشت و ارتقاء سلامت ایران

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Prediction of Health based on the Social Support and Social Capital among Patients Visiting a Public Hospital in Afghanistan

Elham Ghawsi

, Vahid Ghavami

, Mehdi Varmaghani

, Sahar Mohammadnabizadeh ^*

Abstract: (64 Views)

Background and Objectives: With the development of human societies and the emergence of social diseases, and considering that a healthy person is the cornerstone of sustainable development, examining the factors influencing health becomes particularly important. The aim of this research is to assess the health status of individuals visiting the Hozavi Hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, and to identify the social factors affecting it, with an emphasis on the roles of social support and social capital.

Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study (year 1403), 262 individuals visiting Herat Hospital were selected based on a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using demographic and background questionnaires, as well as standardized questionnaires related to health status, social support, and social capital. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the distribution of health variables across different levels, and one-way ANOVA was employed for variables with more than two levels. Additionally, the impact of social support and social capital on health was analyzed using multiple linear regression models in SPSS software, with a significance level set at 0.05.

Results: The mean and standard deviation of the participants' age were 39.79±18.91 years. In terms of gender, 60.6% were male and 35% female. No significant differences were observed in social capital and social support based on gender (P>0.05). Regarding health status, women had significantly higher health scores compared to men (P=0.04). Based on marital status, no significant differences were found in health, social capital, or social support (P>0.05).

Conclusion: The results showed that social support and social capital are significantly associated with health, with social support being the strongest predictor. Therefore, strengthening these factors in health policies can have a substantial impact on improving community health. Additionally, focusing on the development of social support networks and social relationships in health programs is of great importance.

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Keywords: Social Support, Social Capital, Health

Type of Study: Research | Subject: Public Health
Received: 2025/03/22 | Accepted: 2025/07/11

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