Yes / Objectives In this study we aimed to test the associations between area-level ethnic density and health for Pakistani and White British residents of Bradford, England. Design The sample consisted of 8610 mothers and infant taking part in the Born in Bradford cohort. Ethnic density was measured as the percentage of Pakistani, White British or South Asian residents living in a Lower Super Output Area. Health outcomes included birth weight, preterm birth and smoking during pregnancy. Associations between ethnic density and health were tested in multilevel regression models, adjusted for individual covariates and area deprivation. Results In the Pakistani sample, higher ethnic density was associated with lower birth weight (b -0.82, 95% CI -1.63; -0.02), and higher South Asian density was associated with a lower probability of smoking during pregnancy (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98; 1.00). Pakistani women in areas with 50-70% South Asian residents were less likely to smoke than those living in areas with less than 10% South Asian residents (OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.16;0.97). In the White British sample, neither birth weight nor preterm birth was associated with ethnic density. The probability of smoking during pregnancy was lower in areas with 10-29.99% compared to < 10% South Asian density (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.64; 0.98). Conclusion In this sample, ethnic density was associated with lower odds of smoking during pregnancy but not with higher birth weight or lower odds of preterm birth. Possibly, high levels of social disadvantage inhibit positive effects of ethnic density on health. / Hall Dorman studentship , also Wellcome and NIHR

Yes / Recent research on health inequalities moves beyond illustrating the importance of psychosocial factors for health to a more in-depth study of the specific psychosocial pathways involved. Social capital is a concept that captures both a buffer function of the social environment on health, as well as potential negative effects arising from social inequality and exclusion. This systematic review assesses the current evidence, and identifies gaps in knowledge, on the associations and interactions between social capital and socioeconomic inequalities in health. Through this systematic review we identified studies on the interactions between social capital and socioeconomic inequalities in health published before July 2012. The literature search resulted in 618 studies after removal of duplicates, of which 60 studies were eligible for analysis. Self-reported measures of health were most frequently used, together with different bonding, bridging and linking components of social capital. A large majority, 56 studies, confirmed a correlation between social capital and socioeconomic inequalities in health. Twelve studies reported that social capital might buffer negative health effects of low socioeconomic status and five studies concluded that social capital has a stronger positive effect on health for people with a lower socioeconomic status. There is evidence for both a buffer effect and a dependency effect of social capital on socioeconomic inequalities in health, although the studies that assess these interactions are limited in number. More evidence is needed, as identified hypotheses have implications for community action and for action on the structural causes of social inequalities.