Excellence in Research: Scaling Social Capital and Health across Space

In this project, the effects of collective action and collective efficacy on health literacy are investigated. This is undertaken for local and remote groups, including those native to their area and those who have relocated into the region. Data are collected in two ways, through surveys, which are analyzed statistically, and through interviews.

The goal is to produce new theoretical insights for future scholars, researchers, and practitioners working on social determinants of health and population movements and their intersections at the local and global levels. The project will also provide under-represented students with hands-on research experience by providing them with the opportunity to undertake fieldwork.

Findings from this study contribute both theoretically and empirically to the study of collective efficacy and health literacy and are relevant to public health practitioners and decision makers.

In this study, sequential mixed methods are used to understand the relationship between collective efficacy and health literacy. Drawing on a community-engaged approach for partnership building with community members, data are collected using, surveys, focus groups, and interviews for both local and relocated groups. Specifically, the main components of collective efficacy – social cohesion, informal social control, and social participation – and their relationship with health literacy are measured in both groups’ contexts.

A sample size is estimated based on Mixed Methods Test. Data analyses use hierarchical statistical methods and qualitative coding methods as appropriate. This project is supported jointly by the Sociology Program, the HBCU-EIR Program, and the Build and Broaden Program.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.