Correlation of Social Capital with Social Health in Iran

intorduction: Social capital is a well - known social determinant of health. This study intends to determine the relation between social capital and social health indicators and show how social capital influences social health. one of the specific type of correlation study is ecologic or aggregate study in which research unit is group not individual، we used this kind of study. Social health indicators and social capital data were gathered from formal institution and national survey of measuring social capital in Iran in 2007. To analyze data، SPSS 15 was used. The results show that there are significant relationships between social capital and poverty، population growth rate، violence، literacy rate، unemployment and insurance coverage as social health indicators and there are positive correlation between social capital and poverty، population growth rate and unemployment. Altogether، the correlation between social capital and total social health (calculated by principal component analysis) in Iran is significant (r = -0. 54، p value = 0. 001). based on 0. 30 coefficient of determination، 30 percent of variance in social health can be explained by social capital. Positive correlation between social capital and poverty، population growth rate and unemployment can be explained by this view that، on the one hand، predominant type of social capital in developing provinces of Iran is old social capital with intra group relationships، restricted and specific trust. On the other hand، old (traditional) social capital in developed provinces of Iran was eroded and new (modern) social capital didn’t form، therefore we can see distorted and unequal development in this province such as Tehran and Esfahan. Thus in order to social health promotion and improvement we need to pay attention to various kind of social capital، especially new social capital in health policy and planning.