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Background The social network of the core members of elderly care service social organizations could affect the performance of the organization, while studies concerning its related factors are limited. We aimed to explore factors that are associated with the social network of core members from elderly care service social organizations and provide references and suggestions for improving elderly care services. Methods This cross-sectional study employed a multi-stage stratified sampling method, and collected data concerning social network, demographic information and occupation. Univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to analyze factors that could affect the social network of the core members. Results Our results demonstrated that there is low social network of core members of elderly care social organizations. Out of the total membership, men (AOR = 1.708; 95%CI: 1.034–2.823), those with senior high school education (AOR = 1.923; 95%CI: 1.053–3.511), those with a college degree and above (AOR = 3.010; 95%CI: 1.591–5.692) and those that receive awards related to elderly care services (AOR = 2.260; 95%CI: 1.285–3.976) were associated with higher social network scores. Conclusions Our data successfully characterized the social status of core members of elderly care organizations. Therefore, health care professionals and policy makers in social organizations should use this knowledge in the care and service provision to the elderly; and implement actions that would promote networking in social organizations.

Background The role of non-governmental organizations in the field of AIDS prevention and control is increasingly being valued in China and even the world.This research aimed to study the status of social capital and performance of core members of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as the relation between the two, in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in China. Methods We used a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method to conduct a survey among 327 core members of 212 NGOs in the field of HIV prevention and control in eight provinces in China from July to December 2015. The questionnaire included items on demographic characteristics of core members, a social capital scale, and an organizational performance scale. We analyzed the data using chi-squared test and logistic regression.Results From the perspective of social capital, the core personnel of NGOs with extensive social networks and high levels of social support accounted for a relatively low proportion of the total sample, at 29.1% (95 people) and 36.7% (120 people), respectively. The chi-squared test results indicated the statistical significance of differences in factors such as educational background of the core personnel. The logistic regression analysis results indicated that trust in social capital was positively correlated with structural performance (OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.24–3.95). Social support, cohesion, and sense of belonging were correlated to the level of personal authority in performance evaluation (OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.43–5.39). The results also showed no statistically significant correlation between social network in social capital and performance level.Conclusions Improvement in social capital can promote better organizational performance. For the core members of NGOs, improvement in the level of social capital and performance was conducive to playing an active role in HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Our results can provide insights for decision-making and guiding the activities of NGOs engaged in HIV/AIDS prevention and control services.