Holtgrave, D. R. and R. A. Crosby (2003). Social capital, poverty, and
income inequality as predictors of gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia and
AIDS case rates in the United States. Sex Transm Infect 79(1): 62-4.

BACKGROUND: Social capital has been related to a number of
important public health variables such as child welfare, mortality, and
health status. However, the relation of social capital to infectious
diseases has received relatively little attention. The relation of social
capital to health measures is often posited to be related to the key
societal variables of poverty and income inequality. Therefore, any
exploration of the correlation between social capital and infectious
diseases should also include examination of the association with poverty
and income inequality.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the state level
association between social capital, poverty, income inequality, and four
infectious diseases that have important public health implications given
their long term sequelae: gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, and AIDS.

METHOD: A state level, correlational analysis (including bivariate linear
correlational analysis, and multivariate linear stepwise regression
analysis) was carried out. 1999 state level rates of gonorrhoea, syphilis,
chlamydia, and AIDS were the main outcome measures.

RESULTS: In bivariate
analyses, poverty was significantly correlated with chlamydia; income
inequality was significantly correlated with chlamydia and AIDS case
rates; and social capital was significantly correlated with all outcome
measures. In stepwise multiple regression analyses, social capital was
always the strongest predictor variable.

CONCLUSIONS: These results
suggest that social capital is highly predictive of at least some
infectious diseases. The results indicate the need for further research
into this relation, and suggest the potential need for structural
interventions designed to increase social capital in communities.

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