2016 Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 49-57
Objective: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between social capital and experience of volunteer activities among university students enrolled in school nursing programs, and which examined appropriate methods of fundamental education in consideration of increasing social capital in school nursing programs.
Method: Subjects were 726 students in their final year or taking one-year special courses at 21 universities which providing school nursing programs throughout Japan. They participated in a questionnaire survey on social capital and experience of volunteer activities.
Results: The relationship with volunteer activities varied between cognitive and structural social capital. While the former was associated with experience of activities independently performed at university or as part of education programs, the latter showed an association with the type of independent activity at university, in addition to the content of independent activity for people. Associations were also observed between cognitive social capital and number of years in residence and between structural social capital and the department, number of years in residence, home region, and present region.
Discussion: These results suggest social capital was associated with volunteer activities characterized by experience of establishing diverse relationships and independently collaborating with others.
