Social Participation and Health in Rural Malawi

• In Event: 546 - Section on Sociology of Population Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Families and Health

Abstract

Does social participation improve health? Are healthier individuals more likely to be socially involved? Or do both occur? Research on the relationship between social participation has often struggled with this issue due to reliance on cross-sectional data. We use unique longitudinal data from Malawi, where friendliness and social participation are essential parts of life, to examine the link between subjective health and social participation. We begin by examining whether participation is associated with health. Next, we use data from 2006, 2008 and 2010 to account for selection of healthier individuals into social events, and examine the effect of social participation on health.

Authors

• Tyler Wiktor Myroniuk, University of Maryland

• Philip Anthony Anglewicz, Tulane University