Background: Although most studies on social capital and health relate to adults, there is currently an increased number of studies focusing on young people. Most previous studies on social capital and health among young people have assessed social capital in residential communities, and may have thought little of that in schools. Moreover, measures to assess social capital among young people have been little verified their psychometric properties. This study thus aimed to develop self-rating scales of social capital at school and neighborhood among young people and to evaluate psychometric properties of the scales.

Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 1,362 students in grades 10-12 at six public high schools across Ibaraki, Saga, and Okinawa prefecture, Japan in 2011. As for questionnaire items of social capital, we selected seven items of cognitive social capital at school, five items of cognitive social capital at neighborhood, and each one item of structural social capital at school and neighborhood. Reliability analyses included internal consistency and test-retest stability. Factor analysis was used to evaluate the construct validity of the cognitive measures. Criterion-related validity was examined the associations with safety at school and neighborhood and health indicators, such as self-rated health, depressive symptoms, and physical activities.

Results: Factor analysis showed that cognitive social capital constructs among young people comprised of cognitive social capital at school, which included trust and reciprocity within students and trust in teachers, and cognitive social capital at neighborhood, which included trust and reciprocity within neighbors. The internal consistency of the scale was good (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92-0.94), and its stability was also adequate (test-retest reliability = 0.48-0.81). As was expected, the cognitive social capital scales were associated with safety at school and neighborhood and some health indicators, indicating acceptable criterion-related validity. Only the structural social capital scale at school was associated with physical activity, while the structural social capital at neighborhood was with safety at neighborhood.

Conclusions: Psychometric evaluation of most measurement of social capital among young people indicated adequate validity and reliability. However, the validity of the structural social capital scale was inconclusive.

Aims : This study aimed to clarify the circumstances and issues surrounding school health management in Brazilian schools in Japan.

Methods : The participants were the principals of five Brazilian schools in Japan. A semi-structured interview was conducted about the approaches to school health management, and the results were analyzed using qualitative inductive methods.

Results: The content of implementation items of school health management were classified into five categories : 1) Daily health observation, 2) Coping when children feel sick, 3) Health guidance, 4) Medical management and 5) Health checkups. Issues of school health management recognized by principals were classified into two categories: 1) Parents’ responses to their child’s poor physical condition and 2) Cannot share of a child’s health informations with parents. Issues of health and lifestyle habits of the children attending Brazilian schools in Japan recognized by principals were classified into three categories: 1) Physical and mental, 2) Dietary habits and 3) Health-related lifestyle.

Conclusions: The circumstances and issues surrounding school health management conducted in Brazilian schools in Japan were clarified as follows: 1) There are differences in the approach to school health management among Brazilian schools in Japan; 2) Approaches to dental health instruction and follow-up health checkups are performed in all schools; 3) There are issues in daily life for Brazilians living in Japan concerning the background of health issues; and 4) There is a difference in the awareness of the child healthcare between “schools” and “parents” of Brazilian in Japan.