Economics

Abstract: 

After theoretically determining the impact of social capital on wellbeing from economics literature, this study uses the Statistics Canada 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Survey to estimate the impact of social capital on the wellbeing of Indigenous Canadians. It is found through econometric analysis that the wellbeing of adults and youth is impacted by social capital in similar and differing ways. The self-reported health of adults and youth is negatively impacted by their degree of social isolation. Peer risk behaviors for youth have a significant negative impact on their self-reported health. These are important considerations for improving the general wellbeing of Indigenous Canadians and stimulate the need for future research.