Investigating the interplay of loneliness, computer-mediated communication, online social capital, and well-being: insights from a COVID-19 lockdown study.

Introduction: Recent studies have found that there is scope for communication technologies to increase online social capital. Although studies have linked online social capital and mental well-being, there is a need to identify the causal pathways within this relationship. This study explores the role of loneliness in the relationship between computer-mediated communication, online social capital and well-being. Methods: The study used an online questionnaire and had 217 participants. William's 2006 scale was used to measure individuals' online social capital, and structural equational modelling (SEM) was used to explore the relationship between computer-mediated communication, use, levels of loneliness, online social capital and well-being. This study was conducted remotely during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Ireland. Results: High levels of online communication mitigated the otherwise negative effects of loneliness on well-being when online interaction fostered online social capital. Conclusion: Overall, the proposed model offers qualified support for the continued analysis of technology-mediated communication as a potential source for building online social capital and improving the well-being of particular individuals with high levels of loneliness.

Social capital and healthy eating among two ethnic minority groups in Yunnan Province, Southwest China: the mediating role of social support and nutrition knowledge.

Background: Although social capital has been linked to dietary intake particularly in disadvantaged populations, little is known about the mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate whether social support (SS) and nutrition knowledge (NK) mediate the association between social capital and healthy eating habits. Methods: A probability sample of two ethnic minority groups in Yunnan Province, Southwest China were included (n = 1,033, mean age 47.5 ± 14.7 years). Bonding and bridging social capital (BOC and BRC) were assessed with the Personal Social Capital Scale (PSCS-16). Dietary data were evaluated with the Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI), a measure of diet quality which reflects adherence to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines. NK and SS were measured with a validated questionnaire and scale, respectively. Structural Equation Modeling was used to calculate the direct, indirect and total effects of social capital on CHEI scores. Results: The mean score of CHEI was 57.4 ± 9.8, which was significantly lower in men and older people. Low adherence to dietary guidelines were to observed in the consumption of dairy, beans, nuts, animal-source food vegetables and fruits. BOC and BRC were positively associated with CHEI score (ß = 0.37 and 0.38, all p < 0.05). Social support and nutrition knowledge mediated 45.9 and 39.5% of the total effect of social capital on CHEI score, respectively. Conclusion: Social capital appears to enhance adherence to dietary guidelines by improving nutrition knowledge and social support. Nutrition promotion programs therefore should consider incorporating strategies that foster social capital development, particularly in disadvantaged populations.

The influence of an agricultural intervention on social capital and water insecurity coping strategies: Qualitative evidence from female smallholder farmers living with HIV in western Kenya.

Background: Greater social capital is associated with positive health outcomes and better HIV management. The ways by which social capital may influence household water insecurity (HHWI), a critical determinant of health among persons living with HIV, remain underexplored. Further, despite the importance of reliable water access and use for health and agricultural productivity, few studies have described the strategies smallholder farmers living with HIV use to manage water insecurity. Objective: We qualitatively explored how an agricultural intervention (provision of a treadle pump for irrigation) influenced HHWI coping strategies through its impacts on social capital among smallholder farmers living with HIV in western Kenya. Method: In 2018, we purposively recruited participants from the Shamba Maisha study, a randomized agricultural intervention (NCT02815579) that provided irrigation pumps to improve treatment outcomes and food security among smallholder farmers living with HIV in western Kenya (n = 42). Participants shared their experiences with water insecurity through go-along and photo-elicitation interviews. Data were thematically analyzed using inductively developed codes. Results: Participants described diverse strategies for coping with agricultural water insecurity. Dimensions of social capital such as feelings of belonging, connectedness, and trust influenced the use of the treadle water pump and other water access behaviors. For instance, participants reported borrowing or sharing water pumps with friends and neighbors if they felt they had a good rapport. In addition, participants indicated a willingness to engage in collective activities, such as supporting the operation of the irrigation pump during planting, when they felt sufficiently connected to a larger group. Overall, individuals in the intervention arm described greater social cohesion, reciprocity, and community connectedness than those in the control arm. Conclusion: The impact of an agricultural intervention on water access and use was described as being modified by social capital among female smallholder farmers living with HIV. Findings suggest that social capital may create an enabling environment for implementing strategies that improve the management and reduce the burden of HIV. Measuring these strategies and their associations with HIV outcomes may strengthen our understanding of resilience among female smallholder farmers living with HIV. The development of a coping strategies index and its use in a longitudinal study could help to identify pathways through which social capital influences health and the effectiveness of livelihood interventions.

Impact of Social Capital on Health Behaviors of Middle-Aged and Older Adults in China-An Analysis Based on CHARLS2020 Data.

To actively respond to the challenges posed by population aging, people are paying more and more attention to healthy behavioral lifestyles, and the impact of social capital as an informal system on health behaviors cannot be ignored. This paper explores the impact of social capital on health behaviors of middle-aged and older adults based on 2020 CHARLS data. Using binary logistic regression models, we discussed the association between social capital and five health behaviors. The results suggest that structural social capital significantly increases physical activity and physical examination behaviors among middle-aged and older adults but also decreases the probability of abstinence behaviors. Cognitive social capital increases the probability that middle-aged and older adults will have a reasonable amount of sleep and physical activity. However, it also decreases the probability that smoking cessation behaviors will occur. Further attention needs to be paid to the role of social capital, the creation of a harmonious social environment and the enhancement of social trust, the strengthening of communities and grass-roots social organizations, and the provision of more platforms for the participation of middle-aged and older adults in social activities, to improve the quality of the healthy lives of middle-aged and older adults and, in turn, to promote the establishment of healthy behaviors.

Impact of Intergenerational Shokuiku (Food and Nutrition Education) Programs on Alleviating Loneliness in Japanese Communities across Ages.

As loneliness is a risk factor for mental and physical health problems in various age groups, this study aimed to explore the impact of the intergenerational Shokuiku (food and nutrition education) program (IGSP) on loneliness in a Japanese community. This single-arm intervention study conducted between 2022 and 2023 included children (n = 21), guardians (n = 16), university students (n = 3), and older adults (n = 6). The IGSP was a one-day program that included participants making and eating their own bread, butter, and sorbet. Loneliness was measured using the Five-item Loneliness Scale for Children (Five-LSC; Japanese) and the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale (Japanese; for adults) with other direct questions. Social capital, including civic participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity, was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. The Five-LSC score significantly decreased post-intervention (p = 0.04). There was a significant increase in adults who reported not feeling lonely (p = 0.001). However, the UCLA Loneliness Scale scores did not show any significant changes. A positive change in social cohesion, including community contribution (p = 0.001) and attachment (p = 0.002), was observed among adults. This study suggests that IGSPs have a positive impact on loneliness in children and a partly positive one in adults. These findings emphasize the potential of intergenerational programs to reduce loneliness in communities.

The role of social capital in the impact of multiple shocks on households' coping strategies in underdeveloped rural areas.

Social capital has long been recognized as a facilitator of socio-economic development. However, the role of social capital in enhancing resilience to multiple shocks in rural China remains insufficiently explored. This study focus on the resilience of households that have recently get rid of poverty and reside in underdeveloped rural areas of China. Unlike previous studies, the article incorporates multiple shocks, social capital, and households' coping strategies into a research framework at the micro level. This study systematically analyses the multiple shocks experienced by households, their coping strategies, and further explores the mediating role of social capital. Utilizing two waves of a rural household panel survey data collected in six underdeveloped counties in 2015 and 2018 in China, we present four key findings. Currently, households primarily contend with drought, illness of family members, and the high costs of agricultural inputs as the main shocks. Their predominant coping strategy is reducing consumption. Importantly, social capital exhibits a mediating effect, accounting for 9.8% of the impact of multiple shocks on households' coping strategies. Notably, natural disasters significantly diminish the informal functions of social capital. While social capital exerts a full mediating effect in non-agricultural households, this effect is not observed among others. This study contributes to a better understanding of the dynamics and specificities of social capital in vulnerable rural areas. Additionally, the findings provide policymakers with practical insights regarding differentiated and preemptive risk governance approaches.

Sexual Debut in Early Adolescence and Individual, School, and Neighborhood Social Capital.

PURPOSE: Sexual debut in early adolescence is associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood. We examined the associations of social capital within families, schools, and neighborhoods with early sexual debut. METHODS: Using data from the Healthy Passages cohort, a longitudinal multilevel study of adolescents, we performed a series of cross-classified multilevel logistic regression models to examine (1) the relative contribution of schools and neighborhoods to the variance and (2) the association of markers of social cohesion/social capital in families, schools, and neighborhoods with sexual debut by 10th grade. RESULTS: There were 4,001 youth participants nested in 115 schools and 751 neighborhoods, with a high degree of cross-classification (1,340 unique combinations of school and neighborhoods). In models adjusting for individual demographics, neighborhoods contributed more to the variance (log odds U [95% confidence interval {CI}] [intra class correlation {ICC}%]) in sexual debut than schools: Uneighborhoods = 0.11 (0.02, 0.23) [3.2%] versus Uschools = 0.07 (0.01, 0.16) [2%]. Restriction of dating and family cohesion, markers of family social capital, were associated with reduced odds of sexual debut by 10th grade (odds ratio = 0.45 95% CI: 0.41-0.49 and 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86, 1.00). Neighborhood cohesion and education level were associated with early debut. Although reduced, there remained significant, unexplained variance in both the school and neighborhood level in the fully adjusted model (Uschool = 0.08 [0.01, 0.17] [2.3%], Uneighborhood = 0.08 [0.02, 0.17] [2.2%]). DISCUSSION: Markers of social capital at the family and neighborhood levels were associated with sexual debut by 10th grade. Developers of public health programs aiming to delay sexual debut should consider family-focused and neighborhood-focused interventions.

A Paradox of School Social Organization: Positive School Climate, Friendship Network Density, and Adolescent Violence.

Schools are often encouraged to foster a positive climate to reduce adolescent violence, but evidence on the effectiveness of this approach varies significantly. This study investigates the roots of this variation by testing alternative hypotheses about how positive school-level climate and school-level student friendship network density interact to shape adolescent violence perpetration. Research on informal social control and network closure suggests that the violence-reducing association of positive school climate will be enhanced among schools where students are more densely tied through their friendships. Research on youth conflict and subversion of control suggests the opposite. These hypotheses are tested with data from Waves I-II of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 11,771; 49% Female; Age mean = 15.04, SD = 1.60). Consistent with the conflict/subversion hypothesis, analyses indicate that the inverse association between positive school climate and adolescent violence is only evident among schools with a very low density of friendship ties. Strikingly, however, there is evidence that a more positive school climate is associated with increases in violence among youth attending schools with a high density of friendship ties. These findings suggest that efforts to reduce violence by fostering cohesion among youth in their schools and other social contexts can be undermined by youth network processes.

Quantifying social capital creation in post-disaster recovery aid in Indonesia: methodological innovation by an AI-based language model.

Smooth interaction with a disaster-affected community can create and strengthen its social capital, leading to greater effectiveness in the provision of successful post-disaster recovery aid. To understand the relationship between the types of interaction, the strength of social capital generated, and the provision of successful post-disaster recovery aid, intricate ethnographic qualitative research is required, but it is likely to remain illustrative because it is based, at least to some degree, on the researcher's intuition. This paper thus offers an innovative research method employing a quantitative artificial intelligence (AI)-based language model, which allows researchers to re-examine data, thereby validating the findings of the qualitative research, and to glean additional insights that might otherwise have been missed. This paper argues that well-connected personnel and religiously-based communal activities help to enhance social capital by bonding within a community and linking to outside agencies and that mixed methods, based on the AI-based language model, effectively strengthen text-based qualitative research.

Islamic faith-based organisations and their role in building social capital for post-disaster recovery in Indonesia.

This paper investigates the role of Islamic faith-based organisations (FBOs) in Indonesia and examines the way in which their disaster recovery aid can be successful or less successful depending on social capital formation in communities affected by a disaster. The paper argues that Islamic FBOs play a prominent role in disaster-affected communities by building new social capital or strengthening existing social capital. Failure to do so may affect a community's recovery and its long-term resilience. Applying a framework that considers three types of social capital-bonding, bridging, and linking-from a comparative perspective, the paper discusses two cases of disaster recovery: one following the earthquake that struck Aceh in 2013; and the other after the Mount Kelud volcanic eruptions in East Java in 2014. In both instances, the findings highlight the importance of the village facilitator, cultural sensitivity, and understanding of local indigenous and religious practices for successful disaster recovery.

Revealing the enhancement effect of social capital on the individual performance of core members in elderly caring organizations: A study from Anhui, China.

Aging is a challenge to global development. This challenge is particularly significant for China because it has the largest elderly population worldwide. The proportion of aging population continues to increase, and solely relying on government efforts to meet the needs of the elderly is inadequate. Hence, involvement of social organizations in elderly care services is needed. Their core members exhibit higher sense of responsibility and identification with the organization than regular members, thus profoundly affecting organizational development. Based on the Social Capital Theory, this study employed a multistage stratified random sampling method to examine the social capital stock of elderly social organizations and their core members across six cities in Anhui Province, China. Chi-square tests analyzed the relationship between the core members' demographic factors and individual performance. Independent-sample t-tests assessed the relationship between social capital and individual performance. Finally, binary logistic regression models determined the factors influencing the individual performance of core members. Social networks within core members' social capital and the internal social capital of elderly caring social organizations (ESOs) affect the individual performance of core members. Therefore, organizations should provide more training opportunities for core members to expand their networks. Cultivating a shared language and vision as components of social capital can enhance organizational cohesion and operational stability.

Adverse childhood experiences and self-esteem among adolescents: The role of social capital and gender.

INTRODUCTION: Adverse childhood experiences have long-lasting effects on the self-esteem of adolescents. However, the extrinsic mechanism linking them to self-esteem, which is more modifiable, has rarely been examined. Therefore, this study examined the mediating roles of family, school, and peer social capital and the moderating role of gender in the association between adverse childhood experiences and adolescent self-esteem. METHODS: This study involved a cross-sectional survey of first- and second-grade students in the only high school in Wusu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Data were collected in May 2023. A sample of 2539 students (M = 16.84 years old; 55.65% female) was included. The measurement models of family, school, and peer social capital were constructed using confirmatory factor analysis. The mediating roles of the three types of social capital and the moderating role of gender were examined using mediation analysis and multiple-group analysis, respectively. RESULTS: Family, school, and peer social capital significantly mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adolescent self-esteem, and family social capital played the strongest role. Gender significantly moderated the direct effect of adverse childhood experiences on self-esteem. The direct effect was significant only among girls. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the protective role of social capital for self-esteem among adolescents in Northwestern China and similar areas with relatively limited social services. Comprehensive interventions promoting social capital, especially family social capital, should be conducted to enhance self-esteem among adolescents.

Sense of coherence and its components under COVID-19: relative associations with personality and psychosocial variables.

Sense of Coherence (SOC) is conceptualized as promoting resistance to stress. The study aimed to assess the impact of the Big Five personality traits and Social Capital (SC) on SOC levels during COVID-19, comparing associations with the pre-pandemic period. Another aim was to explore how personality and SC relate differently to SOC domains: Comprehensibility, Manageability, and Meaningfulness, reflecting perceptions of order, resource adequacy, and life's significance, respectively. SOC, Big Five personality traits, SC (using by the 13 items SOC scale, NEO-FFI and PSCS inventories, respectively) and demographic data were obtained from 2717 Israeli participants during the heights of the third COVID-19 wave (November 2020-March 2021). Strong relationships between SOC and personality traits have been found through regression analysis, but these associations differed between SOC domains. Big Five traits demonstrated comparable association with Comprehensibly and Manageability, but different from those with Meaningfulness, particularly in Neuroticism, Openness and Extraversion. Significant SC-SOC associations were observed, though weaker than those reported in the pre-pandemic period. Age and female sex were also associated with stronger SOC. Overall, effect sizes for SOC domains were medium to large for Big Five personality traits and small to medium for demographic variables. SC demonstrated a negligible effect size. Significant interactions of demographic, SC and personality traits were also observed. The study highlights SOC's strong links with personality and demographics, but weaker ties with psychosocial factors. Variations across SOC domains may explain diverse crisis effects.

SoCap YMH - youth mental health, social capital and help-seeking: a study protocol.

Background: The increase in adolescents reporting mental health problems presents a major public health challenge. The complex association between mental health and social capital motivates further investigation of social capital as a crucial aspect in shaping adolescents' help-seeking knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Aim: This protocol presents a project that aims to investigate social capital in relation to help-seeking and mental health in close collaboration with adolescents and key stakeholders in the school setting, in the southern part of Sweden. Methods: A mixed-method design with three interconnected work packages (WP) will be undertaken with an emphasis on co-production where adolescents are involved throughout the process. WP1 is a development and validation of two questionnaire instruments for assessing social capital and help-seeking in adolescence. WP2 is a longitudinal quantitative study involving 1,500 adolescents from two regions representing rural and suburban/urban settings. Adolescents aged 15 will be asked to complete questionnaires concerning social capital, mental health, and help-seeking in a baseline and one-year follow-up, allowing for investigation of the role of social capital for help-seeking. WP3 is designed to elucidate experiences and knowledge of adolescents and key stakeholders via collaborative World Café workshops. These will be held along the project to evolve the generated knowledge and maximize it's applicability during and after the project is finalized. Conclusion: The results are expected to further the understanding of the relationship between adolescents' social capital, mental health, and help-seeking, to contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the paradoxical help-seeking patterns among adolescents today and to narrow the gap between research and practice to produce sustainable and efficient strategies, which may facilitate help-seeking and improve the mental health of adolescents within existing organizational structures.

Diasporas as a linchpin in local and international humanitarian action: a case study of the Chinese in Aceh following the 2004 tsunami.

Chinese humanitarian actors have worked frequently with the Chinese diaspora in disaster-affected areas, but little, if any, research has been conducted into the important role of the diaspora in disaster response and humanitarian assistance. This paper investigates what local knowledge the Chinese diaspora has offered to humanitarian actors from the People's Republic of China (PRC), and how this has contributed to their effectiveness. Based on a case study of the semi-autonomous Indonesian province of Aceh in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, this paper argues that the diaspora can serve as a linchpin in local and international humanitarian action. It can do so by strengthening networks and bringing together local ethnic communities, local governments, and the PRC's humanitarian actors, while also offering local knowledge in the form of contextual memory. Such local knowledge may have to be fully utilised to address any underlying ethnic tensions in disaster-affected areas.

Local knowledge as the basis of disaster management and humanitarian assistance.

Recent policy discourse on the localisation of disaster management and humanitarian assistance lacks attention to the culture, history, and traditions of the Global South. This special issue of Disasters argues that it is imperative to recognise the dynamic, interactive, contested, and negotiated nature of local knowledge. Such local knowledge saves lives by enabling responders to situate ad hoc, one-off events such as disasters in the broader and deeper context of community relationships, thereby providing more appropriate and more effective aid. Through the cases of China, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, this special issue examines such dynamic local knowledge using an analytical framework consisting of three manifestations of local knowledge, namely: social capital; contextual historical memories; and adaptation to new ideas. These three manifestations show the ways in which local knowledge creates local capacity, via which local, national, and international disaster respondents can centre their response coordination, and in turn, demonstrate how local capacity reformulates local knowledge.

Mental health inequality between urban and rural youth under COVID-19 from survey data from China.

Background: While health inequality has been the focus of past scholarly discussions, COVID-19's outbreak and spread have provided a new arena for discussing health inequality, particularly in the context of urban-rural disparities in China. This paper explores the impact of COVID-19 on urban-rural health inequality, and the roles played by socioeconomic status and social capital. Methods: A cross-sectional observational collected data on demographics, mental health, socioeconomic status, and social capital. An online survey was administered from August 27 to August 30, 2020, and, 1936 valid samples were received. Mental health was measured using the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18). This study applied the ordinary least squares regression (OLS) model, and data analysis was performed using STATA. Results: There were 1936 participants, with an equal distribution of genders. Multiple regression analysis showed that the mental health levels of rural youth were superior to those of urban youth (p = 0.049), especially when the epidemic was not severe (p = 0.013). Socioeconomic status had a significant positive promotion effect on mental health (p = 0.008), but the interaction effect between socioeconomic status and the urban-rural divide indicated that the promotion effect of socioeconomic status on the mental health of urban youth was greater than that of rural youth (p = 0.04). Social capital had a significant positive promotion effect on mental health (p = 0.000), and the interaction effect indicated that this promoting effect did not differ between urban and rural areas (p > 0.05).

Gender-specific aspects of socialisation and risk of cardiovascular disease among community-dwelling older adults: a prospective cohort study using machine learning algorithms and a conventional method.

BACKGROUND: Gender influences cardiovascular disease (CVD) through norms, social relations, roles and behaviours. This study identified gender-specific aspects of socialisation associated with CVD. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted, involving 9936 (5,231 women and 4705 men) initially healthy, community-dwelling Australians aged 70 years or more from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) study and ASPREE Longitudinal Study of Older Persons, with a median follow-up time of 6.4 years. Variable categorisation, variable selection (using machine learning (ML) models; Elastic Net and extreme gradient boosting) and Cox-regression were employed separately by binary gender to identity socialisation factors (n=25 considered) associated with CVD. RESULTS: Different socialisation factors were identified using the ML models. In the Cox model, for both genders, being married/partnered was associated with a reduced risk of CVD (men: HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.96; women: HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.95). For men, having 3-8 relatives they felt close to and could call on for help (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.99; reference <3 relatives), having 3-8 relatives they felt at ease talking with about private matters (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.90; reference <3 relatives) or playing games such as chess or cards (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.00) was associated with reduced risk of CVD. For women, living with others (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.91) or having ≥3 friends they felt at ease talking with about private matters (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.95; reference <3 friends) was associated with a lower risk of CVD. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the need to prioritise gender-specific social factors to improve cardiovascular health in older adults.

Do binge drinking adolescents have a greater number of traumatised teeth? A longitudinal study with 12-year-olds in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Binge drinking has been linked to traumatic dental injury (TDI). Once drunk, adolescents are more prone to accidents, which may result in orofacial injury. AIM: This study evaluated the possible association of binge drinking with a number of traumatised teeth in a population of 12-year-old Brazilian adolescents in 2013 and 2015. DESIGN: This study was longitudinal, carried out with 588 adolescents at two moments, 2013 and 2015. TDI, overjet and lip protection were assessed by calibrated examiners. Binge drinking data were collected through the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Sociodemographic indicators were obtained through a questionnaire answered by the parents/guardians. The Poisson regression model with a random effects intercept was estimated. RESULTS: A higher prevalence of traumatised teeth was observed among adolescents who binge drink (IRR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.05-1.80; p < .05). The prevalence was also significantly higher among adolescents in this age range with a ≥ 3-mm overjet and those with inadequate lip protection (IRR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.44-2.76; p < .001 and IRR = 3.41; 95% CI: 2.57-4.53; p < .001, respectively). CONCLUSION: A greater number of traumatised teeth were found among adolescents who reported binge drinking and had severe overjet and inadequate lip coverage.

Social capital as a moderator of the relationship between violent community environment and psychological distress.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the modifying effect of social capital on the relationship between living in violent communities and the presence of psychological distress in adolescents and youth in Mexico. METHOD: The analysis of the Social Cohesion Survey for the Prevention of Violence and Crime (ECOPRED, by its acronym in Spanish) was conducted. The analytic sample consisted of 39,639 participants aged 12 to 29 years. Community violence and social capital were measured at the census tract level using the average answers of a household's head sample. These environmental variables were independent of the experiences of the participants. Social capital variables included structural (social ties, recreational participation, collaborative participation, and social cohesion), and cognitive (trust in neighbors) dimensions. Multilevel structural equation models were used. RESULTS: Recreational participation, collaborative participation, and social cohesion modified the relationship between community environments and psychological distress. In females who lived in places with less recreational participation or less social cohesion, the higher the social disorder, the higher the psychological distress. A similar relationship between vandalism and psychological distress was identified, but only in males who lived in places with less collaborative participation, and in females with less social cohesion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that dimensions of the structural social capital (organization and interest in the community and its members) were the ones that had the buffering effect of the exposure to disordered community environments on psychological distress.