Finger Lakes residents have strong family and social support systems
Membership associations per 10,000 population (Social associations)
Current Value
10.2
Definition
"Number of membership associations per 10,000 population.
Minimal contact with others and limited involvement in community life is associated with increased morbidity and early mortality. Research suggests that the magnitude of risk associated with social isolation is similar to the risk of cigarette smoking. Furthermore, social support networks have been identified as powerful predictors of health behaviors, suggesting that individuals without a strong social network are less likely to make healthy lifestyle choices than individuals with a strong network. A study found that people living in areas with high levels of social trust are less likely to rate their health status as fair or poor than those with low levels of social trust. Researchers have argued that social trust is enhanced when people belong to voluntary groups and organizations because people who belong to such groups tend to trust others who belong to the same group."
Source: Social Associations | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
Comparison
Story Behind the Curve
Partners
What Works
Strategy
Data Sources and Measure Methods
Data Source
"County Business Patterns: County Business Patterns provides data on the total number of establishments, number of establishments by nine employment-size classes by detailed industry, mid-March employment, and first quarter and annual payroll for all counties in the United States and the District of Columbia."
Measure Methods
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"Social Associations is a rate: Social Associations measure the number of membership associations per 10,000 population. Rates measure the number of events in a given period (generally one or more years) divided by the average number of people at risk. Rates help us compare health data across counties with different population sizes."
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"Measure limitations: Data and business codes are self-reported by businesses in a county. This measure uses the primary business code of organizations, which in some cases may not align with a common understanding of a civic organization. There is not currently a reliable national source of data for measuring social or community support at the local level. This measure does not account for important social connections offered via family support structures, informal networks, or community service organizations, all of which are important to consider when understanding the amount of social support available within a county. It also does not account for perceived support. For instance, an individual can be a member of numerous social associations but feel they receive no social support from those organizations."
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"Numerator: The numerator is the total number of membership associations in a county. The membership organizations (NAICS code) in this measure include civic organizations (813410), bowling centers (713950), golf clubs (713910), fitness centers (713940), sports organizations (711211), religious organizations (813110), political organizations (813940), labor organizations (813930), business organizations (813910), and professional organizations (813920)."
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"Denominator: The denominator is the total resident population of a county."
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"Can This Measure Be Used to Track Progress?: This measure can be used to measure progress with some caveats. In understanding and tracking progress in social support in a community, social associations as a measure are incomplete and simply one piece of the whole picture, as described in the limitations above."
Source: Social Associations | County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
References
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House JS, Landis KR, Umberson D. Social relationships and health. Science. 1988 Jul 29; 241(4865):540-5.
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Berkman LF, Syme SL. Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: a nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents. American Journal of Epidemiology. 1979 Feb; 109(2):186-204.
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House JS. Social isolation kills, but how and why? Psychosomatic Medicine. 2001; 63:273-274.
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Kawachi IK, Bruce P, Glass R. Social capital and self-rated health: A contextual analysis. American Journal of Public Health. 1999; 89:1187-1193.
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Rupasingha A, Goetz SJ, Freshwater D. The production of social capital in US counties. The Journal of Socioeconomics. 2006; 35(1):83-101.
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