Cultural capital and self-rated health in low income women: evidence from the Urban Health Study, Beirut, Lebanon.
Author: Khawaja M, Mowafi M.
Source:
Journal of Urban Health, 83(3), 444-458.
This paper examines the association between cultural capital and self-rated
psychosocial health among poor, ever-married Lebanese women living in an urban
context. Both self-rated general and mental health status were assessed using
data from a cross-sectional survey of 1,869 women conducted in 2003. Associations
between self-rated general and mental health status and cultural capital were
obtained using chi (2) tests and odds ratios from binary logistic regression
models. Cultural capital had significant associations with self-perceived general
and mental health status net of the effects of social capital, SES, demographics,
community and health risk factors. For example, the odds ratios for poor general
and mental health associated with low cultural capital were 4.5 (CI: 2.95-6.95)
and 2.9 (CI: 2.09-4.05), respectively, as compared to participants with high
cultural capital. As expected, health risk factors were significantly associated
with both measures of health status. However, demographic and community variables
were associated with general health but not with mental health status. The
findings pertaining to social capital and measures of SES were mixed. Cultural
capital was a powerful and significant predictor of self-perceived general and
mental health among women living in poor urban communities.