The safety of area indicator includes those who strongly agree or agree that their area has a reputation for being a safe place. The question used was: Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree with the statement My area has a reputation for being a safe place? Estimates are based on 11,038 respondents. 462 (4.02%) were 'not stated' (Don’t know or Refused) . The neighbourhood help indicator includes those who would definitely or possibly be able to ask someone in their neighbourhood for help to care for a child. The question used was: If you were caring for a child and needed to go out for a while, and could not take the child with you, would you ask someone in your neighbourhood for help? Estimates are based on 10,918 respondents. 582 (5.06%) were 'not stated' (Don’t know or Refused) .
Source:
NSW Population Health Survey (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Department of Health.
The term ‘social capital’ refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms, that shape social networks, foster trust, and facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit. A key concept of social capital is the notion of interlocking networks of relationships between individuals and groups (World Bank, 2003; CER, 2004). There is evidence that state-level indicators of social capital are associated with measures of poor health, including mortality and health risk factors, after adjusting for differences in other determinants of health such as low income, low education and poor access to health services (Berkman et al., 2000).
The aspects of social capital reported relate to social reciprocity, where people act for the benefit of others with the general expectation that this help will be returned in the future when they might need help themselves; and feelings of trust and safety in the local community.
In NSW in 2005, 78.1% of residents believed the area in which they live had a reputation as a "safe place". Among residents of rural NSW 81.9% felt they lived in a safe place compared to 76.4% of urban residents. Perceptions of saftey in the local area also varied by health area. Residents of the Northern Sydney and Central Coast Area Health Service (87.6%) felt safer than those of the Sydney South West Area Health Service (65.3%).
In NSW in 2005, 63.6% of rural residents felt they were able to ask for neighbourhood help to care for a child compared to 54.7% of urban residents. In the Greater Southern Area Health Service, 66.0% of residents felt confident in asking for help compared to only 46.0% in Sydney South West Area Health Service.
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Population Health Division. The health of the people of New South Wales -
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