Measurement of social capital and its application in health care: a review

Social capital is a multidimensional and multilevel concept and quantitative measurement of social capital is a complicated process.This paper aimed to introduce the conceptions and staple measurement tools for social capital,and discuss its empirical application in health care.When measuring social capital,choosing measurement tools that have better reliability and validity according to the survey region's socio-demographic characteristics,economic and cultural performance and dimensions suitable for research purposes is suggested.To combine qualitative analysis and quantitative measurement is also a useful method for the research on the relationship between social capital and health.