Egocentric Network Data Research Articles

Using Egocentric Networks to Illustrate Information Seeking and Sharing by Alfalfa Farmers in Wyoming

We explored using farmers' egocentric (personal) networks to understand how they seek farming advice and how their advice networks map onto their friendship networks. We examined results from a survey of alfalfa farmers (n = 634) in Wyoming. Farmers reported seeking advice from neighbors and fellow farmers, and most indicated that these people are also their friends. In this article, we outline the procedure for collecting egocentric network data and report some of our results from using this tool. We conclude by illustrating the utility of acquiring egocentric network information for Extension professionals across domains, contending that such information can facilitate Extension program and technology implementation and information sharing with the public.

Modeling joint evacuation decisions in social networks: The case of Hurricane Sandy

Coastal areas of the United States are vulnerable to substantial loss of lives and property damage from repeatedly occurring hurricanes and evacuation is the usual recourse to prevent loss of life when high storm surge threatens. The fundamental question in evacuation modeling is to explore the complex evacuation decision-making process leading to an individual’s decision to evacuate or not during a hurricane threat. Recent studies suggest that the social network characteristics of individuals could potentially determine overall evacuation patterns. This study explores the joint evacuation decisions of individuals in personal networks by using ego-centric social network data obtained from Hurricane Sandy and by considering the nested structure of the ego-centric network data, i.e. close contacts (alters) as nested within an individual (ego). In this regard, the study develops a multinomial multilevel model of joint evacuation decisions at the dyadic (ego-alter tie) level utilizing a Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling (HGLM) approach. Model estimation results suggest factors that define a social tie (contact frequency, discussion topic and geographic proximity) significantly influence the evacuation decisions between individuals and their social partners. In addition, individuals’ (both ego and alter) own socio-demographics such as age, marital status, previous evacuation experience, evacuation order, household’s type, size, location and proximity to a water body also affect the decision to evacuate. These findings are useful to help emergency managers implement efficient evacuation strategies and to facilitate planning by policymakers by determining fractions of people evacuating or not for a major hurricane within the context of their social networks.

Network autocorrelation models with egocentric data

Network autocorrelation models have been widely used for decades to model the joint distribution of the attributes of a network's actors. This class of models can estimate both the effect of individual characteristics as well as the network effect, or social influence, on some actor attribute of interest. Collecting data on the entire network, however, is very often infeasible or impossible if the network boundary is unknown or difficult to define. Obtaining egocentric network data overcomes these obstacles, but as of yet there has been no clear way to model this type of data and still appropriately capture the network effect on the actor attributes in a way that is compatible with a joint distribution on the full network data. This paper adapts the class of network autocorrelation models to handle egocentric data. The proposed methods thus incorporate the complex dependence structure of the data induced by the network rather than simply using ad hoc measures of the egos’ networks to model the mean structure, and can estimate the network effect on the actor attribute of interest. The vast quantities of unknown information about the network can be succinctly represented in such a way that only depends on the number of alters in the egocentric network data and not on the total number of actors in the network. Estimation is done within a Bayesian framework. A simulation study is performed to evaluate the estimation performance, and an egocentric data set is analyzed where the aim is to determine if there is a network effect on environmental mastery, an important aspect of psychological well-being.

Condomless Sex Among Homeless Youth: The Role of Multidimensional Social Norms and Gender.

Most studies of condomless sex among homeless youth have focused on peer norms, while excluding other potentially pertinent influences. This study explored how different types of relationships contributed to norms about condomless sex and whether such norms were associated with engagement in condomless sex among homeless youth. Additionally, because recent work has noted gender differences in social networks of male and female homeless youth, gender differences in social network norms of condomless sex were also assessed. Egocentric network data were collected from homeless youth accessing services at two drop-in centers in Los Angeles, CA (N=976). Multivariate analyses (non-stratified and stratified by gender) assessed associations between descriptive, injunctive, and communicative norms and participants' engagement in condomless sex. Multivariate analyses indicated that perception of peer condom use and communication with sexual partners were significantly associated with not engaging in condomless sex. These relationships, however, varied by gender. Implications for interventions are discussed.

The Influence of Social Network Characteristics on Peer Clustering in Smoking: A Two-Wave Panel Study of 19- and 23-Year-Old Swedes.

ObjectivesThe present study examines how the composition of social networks and perceived relationship content influence peer clustering in smoking, and how the association changes during the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood.MethodsThe analysis was based on a Swedish two-wave survey sample comprising ego-centric network data. Respondents were 19 years old in the initial wave, and 23 when the follow-up sample was conducted. 17,227 ego-alter dyads were included in the analyses, which corresponds to an average response rate of 48.7 percent. Random effects logistic regression models were performed to calculate gender-specific average marginal effects of social network characteristics on smoking.ResultsThe association of egos’ and alters’ smoking behavior was confirmed and found to be stronger when correlated in the female sample. For females, the associations decreased between age 19 and 23. Interactions between network characteristics and peer clustering in smoking showed that intense social interactions with smokers increase egos’ smoking probability. The influence of network structures on peer clustering in smoking decreased during the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood.ConclusionsThe study confirmed peer clustering in smoking and revealed that females’ smoking behavior in particular is determined by social interactions. Female smokers’ propensity to interact with other smokers was found to be associated with the quality of peer relationships, frequent social interactions, and network density. The influence of social networks on peer clustering in smoking decreased during the transition from late adolescence to early adulthood.

Sex Differences in Virtual Network Characteristics and Sexual Risk Behavior among Emerging Adults.

Emerging adults (EAs)ages 18 to 24 account for a large proportion of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV infections, and unintended pregnancies in the United States. Given the increased influence of online media on decision-making, we examined how EA online networks were associated with sexual risk behaviors. We used egocentric network data collected from EAs aged 18 to 24 years old across the United States (N=1,687) to examine how online norms (e.g., acceptance of HIV infections, other STIs, and pregnancy) and network characteristics (i.e., network size and density; ties' closeness, race, age, and sex similarities) were associated with participants' unprotected vaginal intercourse (UVI) in the last 30 days. Findings suggested that in male EAs, there was a strong association between sexual norms, structural characteristics, and sexual risk behavior compared to females. Researchers and practitioners may wish to address online peer norms and EAs' online network composition when developing online sexual risk prevention tools.

Social networks and social capital: New directions for a household panel survey

This paper highlights the importance of the social networks perspective in social science research and describes the main approaches to measuring social networks and closely related phenomena - including social capital and kin networks - in existing household panel surveys. It then identifies cutting-edge techniques for collecting new data on social networks within the context of a household panel survey design. We focus in particular on possible extensions to traditional egocentric network data collection, the proper enumeration of kin networks and social support in unstable and complex families, measurement of communication via information and communication technology, and identification of the social network properties of social media participation.

Sexual Networks and HIV Risk among Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in 6 U.S. Cities.

BackgroundSexual networks may place U.S. Black men who have sex with men (MSM) at increased HIV risk.MethodsSelf-reported egocentric sexual network data from the prior six months were collected from 1,349 community-recruited Black MSM in HPTN 061, a multi-component HIV prevention intervention feasibility study. Sexual network composition, size, and density (extent to which members are having sex with one another) were compared by self-reported HIV serostatus and age of the men. GEE models assessed network and other factors associated with having a Black sex partner, having a partner with at least two age category difference (age difference between participant and partner of at least two age group categories), and having serodiscordant/serostatus unknown unprotected anal/vaginal intercourse (SDUI) in the last six months.ResultsOver half had exclusively Black partners in the last six months, 46% had a partner of at least two age category difference, 87% had ≤5 partners. Nearly 90% had sex partners who were also part of their social networks. Among HIV-negative men, not having anonymous/exchange/ trade partners and lower density were associated with having a Black partner; larger sexual network size and having non-primary partners were associated with having a partner with at least two age category difference; and having anonymous/exchange/ trade partners was associated with SDUI. Among HIV-positive men, not having non-primary partners was associated with having a Black partner; no sexual network characteristics were associated with having a partner with at least two age category difference and SDUI.ConclusionsBlack MSM sexual networks were relatively small and often overlapped with the social networks. Sexual risk was associated with having non-primary partners and larger network size. Network interventions that engage the social networks of Black MSM, such as interventions utilizing peer influence, should be developed to address stable partnerships, number of partners, and serostatus disclosure.

Social network characteristics associated with weight loss among black and hispanic adults.

ObjectiveTo examine social network member characteristics associated with weight loss.MethodsCross-sectional examination of egocentric network data from 245 Black and Hispanic adults with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 enrolled in a small change weight loss study. The relationship between weight loss at 12 months and characteristics of helpful and harmful network members (relationship, contact frequency, living proximity and body size) were examined.ResultsThere were 2,571 network members identified. Mean weight loss was -4.8 (±11.3) lbs. among participants with network help and no harm with eating goals vs. +3.4 (±7.8) lbs. among participants with network harm alone. In a multivariable regression model, greater weight loss was associated with help from a child with eating goals (p=.0002) and coworker help with physical activity (p=.01). Weight gain was associated with having network members with obesity living in the home (p=.048) and increased network size (p=.002).ConclusionsThere was greater weight loss among participants with support from children and coworkers. Weight gain was associated with harmful network behaviors and having network members with obesity in the home. Incorporating child and co-worker support, and evaluating network harm and the body size of network members should be considered in future weight loss interventions.

Social network bridging potential and the use of complementary and alternative medicine in later life

The use of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) is typically modeled as a function of individual health beliefs, including changes in perceptions of conventional medicine, an orientation toward more holistic care, and increasing patient involvement in health care decision-making. Expanding on research that shows that health-related behavior is shaped by social networks, this paper examines the possibility that CAM usage is partly a function of individuals' social network structure. We argue that people are more likely to adopt CAM when they function as bridges between network members who are otherwise not (or poorly) connected to each other. This circumstance not only provides individuals with access to a wider range of information about treatment options, it also reduces the risk of sanctioning by network members if one deviates from conventional forms of treatment. We test this idea using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative study of older Americans. Analyses of egocentric social network data show that older adults with bridging potential in their networks are significantly more likely to engage in a greater number of types of CAM. We close by discussing alternative explanations of these findings and their potential implications for research on CAM usage.

Big Data under the Microscope and Brains in Social Context

Methods for analyzing neural and computational social science data are usually used by different types of scientists and generally seen as distinct, but they strongly complement one another. Computational social science methodologies can strengthen and contextualize individual-level analysis, specifically our understanding of the brain. Neuroscience can help to unpack the mechanisms that lead from micro- through meso- to macro-level observations. Integrating levels of analysis is essential to unified progress in social research. We present two example areas that illustrate this integration. First, combining egocentric social network data with neural variables from the “egos” provides insight about why and for whom certain types of antismoking messages may be more or less effective. Second, combining tools from natural language processing with neuroimaging reveals mechanisms involved in successful message propagation, and suggests links from microscopic to macroscopic scales.

Network stigma towards people living with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers: An egocentric network study

HIV stigma occurs among peers in social networks. However, the features of social networks that drive HIV stigma are not well understood. The objective of this study is to investigate anticipated HIV stigma within the social networks of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) (N = 147) and the social networks of PLWHA's caregivers (N = 148). The egocentric social network data were collected in Guangxi, China. More than half of PLWHA (58%) and their caregivers (53%) anticipated HIV stigma from their network peers. Both PLWHA and their caregivers anticipated that spouses or other family members were less likely to stigmatise them, compared to friend peers or other relationships. Married network peers were believed to stigmatise caregivers more than unmarried peers. The association between frequent contacts and anticipated stigma was negative among caregivers. Being in a close relationship with PLWHA or caregivers (e.g., a spouse or other family member) was associated with less anticipated stigma. Lower network density was associated with higher anticipated stigma among PLWHA's alters, but not among caregivers' alters. Findings may shed light on innovative stigma reduction interventions at the social network level and therefore improve HIV/AIDS treatment utilisation.

Modeling Social Network Influence on Joint Trip Frequency for Regular Activity Travel Decisions

Interest in activity-based travel demand modeling has recently increased significantly because of the level of accuracy offered by this type of modeling and its applicability in travel behavior research. Understanding the linkage between social influence and travel behavior enables efficient characterization of discretionary activities that account for a major fraction of total urban trips. In particular, some recent studies looked at the social network structure of individuals and measured the influence that social network members have on the performance of social activities. However, it is expected that the process of taking joint trips (trips that individuals take with their network members) has an intrinsic social context for different activities in general (not only social activities). In this regard, this study used an egocentric (i.e., personal) network approach to explore empirically the influence of personal network characteristics on the frequency of weekly trips that individuals (egos) took part in with their personal network members (alters). With the help of zero-inflated Poisson models and egocentric social network data, the results of this study present a framework for predicting the number of joint trips for six types of activities: work, eating out, shopping, recreation, study, and extra curricular activities. Estimation findings suggest that personal network measures such as network density, homophily, heterogeneity, and ego–alter tie attributes have a significant impact on the joint trip-making process, that is, the number of weekly shared trips in which an individual participates. The findings of this study should help practitioners implement targeted policies such as car sharing for various user groups.

Migration, sexual networks, and HIV in Agbogbloshie, Ghana.

BACKGROUNDHIV is spread through structured sexual networks, which are influenced by migration patterns, but network-oriented studies of mobility and HIV risk behavior have been limited.OBJECTIVEWe present a comprehensive description and initial results from our Migration & HIV in Ghana (MHG) study in Agbogbloshie, an urban slum area within Accra, Ghana.METHODSThe MHG study was a population-based cross-sectional study of adults aged 18–49 in Agbogbloshie in 2012. We used a one-year retrospective relationship history calendar to collect egocentric network data on sexual partners as well as migration and short-term mobility, and tested for prevalent HIV-1/2 infection.RESULTSHIV prevalence was 5.5%, with prevalence among women (7.2%) over twice that of men (2.8%). Three-quarters of residents were born outside the Greater Accra region, but had lived in Agbogbloshie an average of 10.7 years. Only 7% had moved housing structures within the past year. However, short-term mobility was common. Residents had an average of 7.3 overnight trips in the last year, with women reporting more travel than men. Thirty-seven percent of men and 9% of women reported more than one sexual partner in the last year.CONCLUSIONSPopulation-based surveys of migration and sexual risk behavior using relationship history calendars in low-resource settings can produce high quality data. Residents in Agbogbloshie are disproportionately affected by HIV, and have high levels of short-term mobility. HIV prevention interventions targeted to highly mobile populations in high prevalence settings may have far-reaching and long-term implications.

Social disadvantage and network turnover.

Research shows that socially disadvantaged groups--especially African Americans and people of low socioeconomic status (SES)--experience more unstable social environments. I argue that this causes higher rates of turnover within their personal social networks. This is a particularly important issue among disadvantaged older adults, who may benefit from stable networks. This article, therefore, examines whether social disadvantage is related to various aspects of personal network change. Social network change was assessed using longitudinal egocentric network data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, a study of older adults conducted between 2005 and 2011. Data collection in Wave 2 included a technique for comparing respondents' confidant network rosters between waves. Rates of network losses, deaths, and additions were modeled using multivariate Poisson regression. African Americans and low-SES individuals lost more confidants--especially due to death--than did whites and college-educated respondents. African Americans also added more confidants than whites. However, neither African Americans nor low-SES individuals were able to match confidant losses with new additions to the extent that others did, resulting in higher levels of confidant network shrinkage. These trends are partly, but not entirely, explained by disadvantaged individuals' poorer health and their greater risk of widowhood or marital dissolution. Additional work is needed to shed light on the role played by race- and class-based segregation on group differences in social network turnover. Social gerontologists should examine the role these differences play in explaining the link between social disadvantage and important outcomes in later life, such as health decline.

Associations Between Social Support Network Characteristics and Receipt of Emotional and Material Support Among a Sample of Male Sexual Minority Youths

Few studies have examined how social support network characteristics are related to perceived receipt of social support among male sexual minority youths. Using egocentric network data collected from a study of male sexual minority youths (N = 592), multivariable logistic regression analyses examined distinct associations between individual and social network characteristics with receipt of (1) emotional and (2) material support. In multivariable models, frequent communication and having friends in one's network yielded a twofold increase in the likelihood of receiving emotional support whereas frequent communication was associated with an almost threefold higher likelihood of perceived material support. Finally, greater internalized homophobia and personal experiences of gay-related stigma were inversely associated with perceived receipt of emotional and material support, respectively. Understanding the evolving social context and social interactions of this new generation of male sexual minority youths is warranted in order to understand the broader, contextual factors associated with their overall health and well-being.

Does embeddedness protect? Personal network density and vulnerability to mistreatment among older American adults.

This study considers the association between personal network density and risk of elder mistreatment among American adults. Using egocentric network data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, we employ logistic and negative binomial regression to predict recent experience of elder mistreatment. We further unpack the density mistreatment association by linking perpetrators to the victim's network and by assessing their position within its structure. As hypothesized, older adults with dense networks had a lower risk of elder mistreatment. Interestingly, the perpetrators of these harmful acts were often found within seniors' close networks-though there was little evidence to suggest that perpetrators themselves were poorly embedded in the network. Results highlight how network-level phenomena can operate distinctively from dyadic mistreatment processes. Dense personal networks seem to provide structural protection against elder mistreatment, even as many offensive acts are committed by those that are close to the victim and relatively well embedded in their network.

Peer Influences: The Impact of Online and Offline Friendship Networks on Adolescent Smoking and Alcohol Use

Online social networking sites (SNSs) have become a popular mode of communication among adolescents. However, little is known about the effects of social online activity on health behaviors. The authors examined the use of SNSs among friends and the degree to which SNS activities relate to face-to-face peer influences and adolescent risk behaviors. Longitudinal egocentric friendship network data along with adolescent social media use and risk behaviors were collected from 1,563 10th-grade students across five Southern California high schools. Measures of online and offline peer influences were computed and assessed using fixed-effects models. The frequency of adolescent SNS use and the number of their closest friends on the same SNSs were not significantly associated with risk behaviors. However, exposure to friends' online pictures of partying or drinking was significantly associated with both smoking (β = .11, p < .001) and alcohol use (β = .06, p < .05). Whereas adolescents with drinking friends had higher risk levels for drinking, adolescents without drinking friends were more likely to be affected by higher exposure to risky online pictures (β = -.10, p < .05). Myspace and Facebook had demographically distinct user characteristics and differential effects on risk behaviors. Exposure to risky online content had a direct impact on adolescents' risk behaviors and significantly interacted with risk behaviors of their friends. These results provide evidence that friends' online behaviors should be considered a viable source of peer influence and that increased efforts should focus on educating adolescents on the negative effects of risky online displays.

Peer clustering of exercise and eating behaviours among young adults in Sweden: a cross-sectional study of egocentric network data

BackgroundResearch suggests that the growing prevalence of obesity may be related to the influence of the health behaviours of peers. We look at clustering of exercise and eating behaviours amongst a previously unstudied group, young adults in Sweden. Previous research has mainly been conducted in the United States and Britain, countries that have relatively high rates of obesity.MethodsUsing ego-alter dyads from the egocentric network data as the unit of analysis, we conduct logistic regressions to investigate the association between ego and alter exercise and eating behaviours.ResultsRespondents have a significantly greater probability of engaging in regular exercise and eating healthily if a nominated peer also does so. Furthermore, the degree to which this behavior is shared is modulated by the strength of the relationship between the two individuals, with a greater probability of engaging in these behaviours observed when the relationship with the nominated peer is strong relative to when the relationship is weak. However, we find that ego-alter homogeneity in terms of gender and migration status was not associated with a significantly greater probability of behaving in a similar manner to a nominated peer. Furthermore, the status of the nominated peer as a relative or not did not impact the probability that the ego would engage in similar health behaviours to that alter.ConclusionsWe observe strong associations between ego and alter health behaviours for young adults, consistent with previous research. Although we cannot draw causal inferences, these results suggest that the health behaviours of an individual’s peers may play a role in shaping their own health behaviours.

O20.1 Two-Mode Analysis of HIV, HCV and Risk Behaviours: A Place-Based Analysis of Most At-Risk Populations in Winnipeg, Canada

BackgroundThe HIV epidemic has shown a considerable amount of heterogeneity, complicating the design and placement of prevention, intervention and treatment programmes. Place-based analyses providing specific information on pathogen prevalence, risk...