Household social capital and socioeconomic inequalities in child undernutrition in rural India

Social capital has gained attention for poverty reduction efforts in low- and middle-income countries, but questions remain about people's unequal access to and benefits from social capital—especially for addressing child health inequalities. Analyzing 2005 India Human Development Survey data on 9008 rural-dwelling children and their families, we test hypotheses regarding how SES shapes household access to and child health benefits from three different forms of social capital located inside and outside the community. Specifically, we examine households' memberships in bonding and bridging organizations, which respectively connect people who are socio-demographically similar and dissimilar, and linking ties to representatives of formal institutions (health care, education, and government) who have power and privilege in society. Results indicate that greater household wealth is associated with each social capital form and amplifies the extent that linking ties to medical and educational institutions, and within-village bridging organizations are associated with lower odds of child underweight. Our findings warrant considering the unequal distribution, differential utility, and geographic location of social capital in designing efforts to address health inequalities. •Higher household wealth is associated with greater access to social capital.•Social capital can benefit poorer households in the absence of other resources.•Wealthier households can use social capital to further improve child health.•The location of social capital is critical to addressing child health inequalities.