Social capital, access to healthcare, and health-related quality of life in urban Ghana

ABSTRACT

This study examines the status and relationship amongst social capital, access to healthcare and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of urban residents in Ghana. It also explores the moderating role of social capital in the association between access to healthcare and HRQoL of urban residents in Ghana. Data from 1,233 adults were derived from a cross-sectional survey on social epidemiology in five regions and were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression models. Approximately 24.1% of the respondents had low access to healthcare. We found that 41.8% and 10.1% of them rated their health as average and poor, respectively. Access to healthcare (B = 0.777, p < .001) and bridging social capital (B = 0.281, p < .01) were positively associated with HRQoL. However, linking social capital was negatively related to HRQoL (B = −0.199, p < .01). Bridging social capital (B = 0.435, p < .01) positively moderated the association between access to healthcare and HRQoL. The study expands our understanding of social determinants of health outcomes. It proffers that universal health coverage interventions in urban Ghana should actively but cautiously leverage available social resources to improve population health.

Acknowledgments

The data on which this study is based was funded by the Lingnan University Faculty Research Grant (Grant No. 102159). The study also received funding support from Lingnan University through the Lam Woo Research Fund-Individual Grant (Grant code: LWI20014). Both funding sources were offered to the first author. The funders played no role in the design of the study; in the data collection and analyses; writing of the manuscript, and the decision to publish the results.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Lingnan University Faculty Grant [102159], and Lam Woo Research Fund-Individual Grant (Lingnan University) [LWI20014].

Notes on contributors

Padmore Adusei Amoah

Padmore Adusei Amoah is an Assistant Professor at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. His research interest covers social epidemiology and health aspects of social policy among different population groups, including children, youth, older persons and migrants.

Moses Adjei

Moses Adjei is a PhD candidate at the Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University, Hong Kong. He has a keen research interest in gender studies, natural resource governance, food security and urban studies. His current research examines gender inequality in household and community-based fishery decision making and practices in coastal Ghana.