Abstract

IDROVO, Alvaro J.; CAMACHO-AVILA, Anabel; GARCIA-RIVAS, Javier  and  JUAREZ-GARCIA, Arturo. Social capital at work: psychometric analysis of a short scale in Spanish among Mexican health workers. Rev. bras. epidemiol. [online]. 2012, vol.15, n.3, pp. 536-547. ISSN 1415-790X.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-790X2012000300008.

Most studies on social capital and health are carried out with large home-based surveys, neglecting that many interactions among individuals occur in the workplace. The objective of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of a scale in Spanish used to measure social capital at work. The scale designed by Kouvonen et al was translated into Spanish and tested under classical test theory, item response theory, and confirmatory factorial analysis; 152 public health workers from different socio-cultural contexts participated in the survey. Internal consistency was high (Chronbach's alpha = 0.88). Social capital at work correlated properly with two Job Content Questionnaire dimensions. A ceiling effect was detected and item difficulty was quantified. The confirmatory factor analysis showed the expected theoretical components of social capital: bonding, bridging and trust. The scale has acceptable psychometric properties, thus it can be used in future studies.

Keywords : Social capital; Occupational health; Psychometrics; Social epidemiology.