Social capital refers to those features of social organization that enable participants to act together and more effectively pursue common goals. A growing body of evidence suggests that societies with high levels of social capital have lower morbidity and mortality rates and higher life expectancy and are less violent. The main goal of this article is to review the relationship between social capital and health. First, the main concepts and criticisms of social capital theory are discussed. Next, commonly used assessment tools are elucidated. Then, the relationship between social capital and health is analyzed. Finally, the article comments on the theory's application to Brazilian reality. If scientific rigor is applied to social capital research, recognizing theoretical and methodological difficulties, it can expand the research agenda and contribute to a better understanding of how to effectively deal with health inequalities.
Social Organization; Social Capital; Epidemiology
