Social Capital and Immunization Receipt among a Poor, Inner-City Preschool Population

Learning Objectives for this Presentation:

By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:

1.Define social capital

2.Apply the concept of social capital to immunization delivery/receipt

3.Learn how this construct can help better interpret immunization rates in marginalized communities. 

Background:

Over the past two decades, the United States has seen a significant decrease in the rates of vaccine-preventable illnesses, largely due to a concerted effort by individual states to achieve individual antigen series rates of > 90% among preschool age children. One of the Healthy People 2010 objectives is “to maintain > 95% vaccination coverage among children attending licensed child care centers and kindergarten through post-secondary school.” Despite these robust figures, there remains a significant disparity between the immunization rates seen in those living in poverty versus the non-poor and among minority children. This study looks at the role of social capital (i.e., “the existence of features between networks of people and/or social organizations that leads to the cooperation of its members towards mutually beneficial outcomes”) and how it relates to immunization receipt and up-to-date status among marginalized children living in Jacksonville. 

Setting:

Subsidized day care centers located in Jacksonville, Florida.

Population:

Children, ages 19-35 months, and their families living below 150% of the poverty line who participate in the subsidized day care program.

Project Description:

Through in-person and telephone surveying, information on childhood immunizations and social capital (e.g., social trust, social cohesion and civic participation) is being collected from 250 children and linked with demographic data already obtained from these families as part of the Healthy School Readiness Project (HSRP). Immunization rates and their relationship to social capital are being analyzed to better understand immunization receipt in poor, marginalized children.

Results/Lessons Learned:

This study shows how social capital relates to immunization delivery and lays the foundation for new, innovative community-based approaches to better immunize hard-to-reach populations.