Abstract
Objectives
A number of evidence suggest that the society with minimal health inequality has abundant Social Capital(SC) and SC is related to participation to microfinance, however, empirical studies on the association between health and SC are limited. This study aims to explore the features of SC for women who participate to microfinance in rural Burkina Faso, in order to discuss about response towards health inequality reduction.
Methods
Exploratory sequential design mixed method was adopted. Photo Voice was conducted with 11 women living in a village of A health district to explore social support functions that contribute to maternal and child health, and data were analyzed inductively. A survey was conducted for 563 women aged 20-45 years living in the rural villages of A health district with questionnaire developed by using qualitative study results, and descriptive statistics and groups comparison were performed.
Results
Assistance with cash loan or transportation to clinic, information provision on the effects of family planning, and reporting members’ physical condition to their husband were extracted as SC functions for women in microfinance. Quantitative study elucidated that the proportion of membership of microfinance is only 14.4% and that quantity of social support was significantly greater in membership of microfinance, in particular financial support. Information support was not so exchanged contrary to qualitative research results. Exchange of social support was not limited between microfinance members but mainly with extended family.
Conclusions
SC through microfinance consisted of physical, information and emotional support, which reflected on the socio-economic status and health system in rural Burkina Faso. The member had a plentiful SC but exchange of SC was not limited among membership. In order to use the effectiveness of SC through microfinance for health inequality reduction, generalization of SC throughout community including non-membership should be considered.
