Social Capital Mediates Knowledge Gaps in Informing Sexual and Reproductive Health Behaviours across Africa

Till Koebe, Saarland University
Theophilus Aidoo, Saarland University
Ridhi Kashyap, University of Oxford
Douglas R Leasure, Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, Department of Sociology, University of Oxford
Valentina Rotondi, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland
Ingmar Weber, Saarland University

Advancing sexual and reproductive health is essential for promoting human rights and women's empowerment, and combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A large literature emphasizes the importance of social capital, generated through the strength of social networks, for shaping health behaviours. Here we delve into the role of social connectedness across communities, as measured through Facebook friendship links, in shaping knowledge diffusion and behavior related to sexual and reproductive health in 495 regions across 33 countries in Africa. Our findings demonstrate that regions with higher levels of social connectedness are more similar in their knowledge and behaviours about contraception and HIV testing. Furthermore, regions are more similar in behaviours, even when they are knowledge gaps between them, when they are socially connected. These insights carry significant policy implications, especially for the design of public health campaigns, as social connectedness can serve both as a driver and a roadblock in behavior formation.