Social capital and patterns of healthcare utilization in prison: An individual-level analysis of health among the incarcerated

• Main Author: Generale, Alain Jason A.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Prisoners—Medical care; Health services accessibility; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5112
• Institution: De La Salle University

This is a descriptive study aimed to investigate the effects of social capital on the patterns of healthcare utilization and health status of prison inmates as vulnerable groups living in a resource-constrained setting. Survey was conducted involving 273 randomized incarcerated men in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Dagupan City. Logistic regression was used to determine the effects of social capital and patterns of healthcare utilization on the health status of the prison inmates, using functional status and self-rated general health as measures of health. The prison inmates exhibited high social capital in in their social networks, social participation inside the jail, and perceived social cohesion. Majority have low social trust. More than half of the prison inmates only have high over-all social capital. Initiated visits to access to services provided by prison health staff and a general practitioner are generally low. Majority of them were highly provided with services from formal healthcare providers from the government and from prison health staff inside the jail, while a great majority of them were provided with limited extent of medical consultation from voluntary healthcare organizations. The prison inmates reported poor functional status regarding their task performance, psycho-emotional function, and quality of their social interactions. Three-fourths reported that they have good general health status. Results show that high levels of outside neighborhood social networks decreases initiated visits to prison health staff and receive less health services from healthcare providers from outside then jail. High levels of social networks, however, enable them to receive more services from healthcare providers inside the jail. High levels of social trust and social participation promote increase in initiated visits to prison health staff. These two dimensions of social capital increase their likelihood to be provided with services from healthcare providers from outside the jail. High levels of social cohesion increase their possibility to be provided with health services by a general practitioner assigned in the jail. Higher levels of over-all social capital render utilization of healthcare services inside the jail less necessary to attain good health status. Services provided by voluntary healthcare organizations are also necessary to recompense for the primary care services provided by the government. Overall, social capital is significant social determinant to increase access to healthcare services and to promote good health among the incarcerated. The association of social trust, social participation, and social cohesion with functional status and self-rated general health suggests that social capital operates through psychosocial mechanisms to affect health of the prison inmates. It is recommended that prison administration should foster investment in social capital, involve more voluntary healthcare organizations in the delivery of healthcare services, and increase presence of trained prison health staff.