Association between Social Capital and Self-Efficacy among Latinas in Nebraska

ABSTRACT

Ensuring the health and well-being of Latinas is critical given the size of the population and its rapid growth across the United States. Social capital may be a tool for alleviating some of the individual, neighborhood, and societal challenges that Latina immigrants face. This study uses bivariate tests and multivariate regression to assess the association between social capital and self-efficacy among Latina immigrants in the Midwest (N = 94). Self-efficacy was positively correlated with bonding and bridging social capital. Findings from a multiple regression model indicate that bonding and bridging social capital are significantly associated with self-efficacy after adjusting for the effect of related covariates. Public health interventions may benefit from building and fostering bonding and bridging social capital among immigrants as way to improve self-efficacy, promote health, and enhance public health practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Social capital
• community development
• immigrant social networks
• Latinas
• public health practice

Funding

This project is supported in part by Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare through funding provided by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services/Tobacco Free Nebraska Program as a result of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to all of the women who participated in this study and continue to participate in the Latinas, Tabaco, y Cáncer group. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Stacey Coleman and Matt Flege for their time in reviewing this article.

Additional information

Funding

This project is supported in part by Region 6 Behavioral Healthcare through funding provided by Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services/Tobacco Free Nebraska Program as a result of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.