Social Network Components Research Articles

The effects of social networks on tobacco use among high-school adolescents in Mexico

To identify the effect of centrality in social network positions on tobacco-use among high-school adolescents in Tonala, Jalisco, Mexico. Longitudinal sociometric social network data were collected among 486 high-school adolescents in 2003 and 399 in 2004. The survey included: social network components, smoking and sociodemographic characteristics. Social network measures of centrality were calculated and multivariate logistic regression was used. Ever used tobacco (OR= 44.98), marginalized-low stratum (OR= 2.16) and in-degree (OR=1.10) predicted tobacco use. Out-degree (OR= 0 .89) and out-in-degree (OR= 0.90) protected against tobacco use. Nominating more friends rather than receiving such nominations was protective for tobacco use. Popular students, those receiving many nominations, were at higher risk for tobacco use. Involvement of leaders with capacity to influence might be an efficient strategy for dissemination of preventive messages.

Transnational Chinese Sphere in Singapore: Dynamics, Transformations and Characteristics

Based upon an empirical analysis of Singaporean Chinese's intriguing and changing linkages with China over the past half century, this paper suggests that multi-layered interactions between the Chinese diaspora and the homeland have led to the formulation of an emerging transnational Chinese social sphere, which has three main characteristics: First, it is a space for communication by ethnic Chinese abroad with their hometown/ homeland through steady and extensive flows of people, ideas, goods and capital that transcend the nation-state borders, although states also play an important role in shaping the nature and characteristics of these flows. Second, this transnational social sphere constitutes a dynamic interface between economy, politics and culture, which has contributed to creating a collective diasporic identity as well as social and business networks. Third, the key institutional mechanism of the transnational social sphere is various types of Chinese organizations – ranging from hometown associations to professional organizations – which serve as integral components of Chinese social and business networks.

Supporting virtual communities through disciplinary repository development

PurposeThis article aims to discuss the implementation of social networking tools onto existing disciplinary repository platforms – both commercial and open source – with the purpose of building enhanced disciplinary repository‐based virtual communities.Design/methodology/approachThis article is a case study. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has served as a test‐bed for two disciplinary repository‐based virtual communities, InterNano and ESENCe, both of which serve as examples for the development of features that facilitate social connections in emerging multi‐disciplinary fields. Two different approaches to the technical implementation of social networking tools onto standard disciplinary repository software platforms are described, as well as the challenges faced by each project.FindingsAlthough disciplinary repositories are not typically conceived as social spaces, disciplinary repositories can integrate social networking components to act as “knowledge brokers” for emerging disciplines of practice. The challenges of developing disciplinary repositories as virtual communities include software limitations, community integration and trust building, and identification and acquisition of relevant content in emerging and dynamic fields.Originality/valueInterNano and ESENCe represent the growing long‐tail of disciplinary repositories, about which little literature exists. This case study demonstrates the activities and challenges of developing small‐scale multi‐disciplinary disciplinary repositories into active virtual communities.

Sources of parental burden in a UK sample of first-generation North Indian Punjabi Sikhs and their white British counterparts

The correlates of parental burden in schizophrenia may differ between ethnic groups, but few studies have examined this in a UK setting. Our aim was to identify the correlates of burden in a UK sample of first-generation North Indian Punjabi Sikh parents and their white British counterparts. Test the association of burden with a series of clinical, social and service use variables and control for potential confounding factors in a model predicting drivers of burden in a combined sample of the above. The strongest correlates of burden were patient symptoms and parental distress. Differences in correlates of burden between the groups emerged when individual components of service use and parental social network were tested. The group comparisons also revealed differences in expressed emotion (EE) and social networks. The similarities in sources of burden between the groups could be explained by a commonality of sociocultural and economic experience, resulting from the successful acculturation and affluence of this British Sikh group. The differences between the groups may be related to enduring cultural factors such as kin support, since larger family groups were associated with low burden in the British Sikh group. The nature of EE in this British Sikh group may explain why it was not associated with burden in this sample.

Dimensioning cultural diversity in eServices architectures

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the development of a culturally sensitive and end‐user‐centric software architectural framework for the development of eService applications in information and communication technologies for development (ICTD) contexts. The research is undertaken within the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachAction research is the approach undertaken in this research with an extensive literature review to inform the development of the architecture, which is later qualitatively and quantitavely validated.FindingsVarious factors have to be taken into consideration for technology solutions to be effective in their context of deployment. The authors have provided an architecture that intrinsically enables software solutions to be developed from the ground up with concern for flexibility for context sensitivity. The PIASK architecture separates the presentation, interaction, access, social networking and knowledge base components into five distinct functional layers. This architecture is validated for: technical viability through a development of a knowledge portal in SLL; cultural sensitivity through Dooyeweerd's theory of modal aspects; and user centricity using a SALUTA‐based evaluation.Practical implicationsThe successful evolution of any society towards a knowledge society is predicated on technology solutions that embrace and that are sensitive to the socio‐cultural diversity of that society. The PIASK architecture developed in this research is a tool that can be used in the realization of services and applications for ICTD contexts in South Africa and other third‐world countries.Originality/valueThe software architecture developed specifically for ICTD contexts to encapsulate context sensitivity and user centricity is the primary and novel contribution of this research.

Multidimensional Social Network in the Social Recommender System

All online sharing systems gather data that reflects users' collective behavior and their shared activities. This data can be used to extract different kinds of relationships which can be grouped into layers and which are basic components of the multidimensional social network (MSN) proposed in the paper. The layers are created on the basis of two types of relations between humans, i.e., direct and object-based ones which, respectively, correspond to either social or semantic links between individuals. For better understanding of the complexity of the social network structure, layers and their profiles were identified and studied on two, spanned in time, snapshots of the `Flickr' population. Additionally, for each layer, a separate strength measure was proposed. The experiments on the `Flickr' photo sharing system revealed that the relationships between users result either from semantic links between objects they operate on or from social connections of these users. Moreover, the density of the social network increases in time. The second part of this paper is devoted to building a social recommender system that supports the creation of new relations between users in a multimedia sharing system. Its main goal is to generate personalized suggestions that are continuously adapted to users' needs depending on the personal weights assigned to each layer in the MSN. The conducted experiments confirmed the usefulness of the proposed model.

Sexual transmissibility of HIV among opiate users with concurrent sexual partnerships: an egocentric network study in Yunnan, China

To investigate the patterns of concurrent sexual partnerships among young opiate users and sexual transmissibility of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in concurrent sexual partnerships in drug-use and sexual networks. Cross-sectional design. A total of 426 young opiate users in Yunnan, China. Young opiate users recruited from their network ties. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used to recruit participants. Multiple logistic regressions were performed to analyze the relationships of concurrent sexual partnerships with egocentric social network components, risky sexual behavior for HIV and drug-use practices. The RDS-adjusted prevalence of concurrent sexual partners was 42.9% among opiate users. Opiate users with concurrent sexual partnerships were more likely to engage in risky HIV-related sexual behavior, compared to those without. Specifically, they were more likely to report having had four or more sexual partners (26.3% versus 2.0%), having had a spouse or boy/girlfriends who also had concurrent sexual partnerships (28.1% versus 8.2%), having exchanged drug for sex (12.4% versus 3.8%), having had sexual partners who were non-injection drug users (22.6% versus 10.1%), having had sexual partners who were injection drug users (25.3% versus 13.5%) and having used club drugs (26.3% versus 13.5%). There were no significant differences in consistent condom use between opiate users with sexual concurrency and those without. The same proportion (25.8%) of opiate users in the two groups reported having consistently used condoms when having sex with regular partners, and 46.3% of opiate users with sexual concurrency and 36.4% of those without such concurrency consistently used condoms with non-regular partners. The expansion of the human immunodeficiency virus epidemic from high-risk populations to the general population in China may be driven by concurrent sexual partnerships. Behavioral interventions targeting safer sex should be integrated into harm reduction programmes.

Randomized clinical trial to evaluate an e-health intervention for fear of cancer recurrence, anxiety, and depression among cancer survivors.

TPS237 Background: Fear of cancer recurrence is a universal experience among survivors and for many, fear persists years after treatment completion. Psychosocial interventions to teach strategies for managing these fears would improve quality of life, yet barriers to accessing psychosocial care exist. Internet-based approaches to deliver psychosocial interventions can overcome these barriers. E-health interventions disseminate standardized intervention content using a medium that is widely accessible and relatively inexpensive. Incorporating a social networking feature may improve e-intervention adherence through facilitating peer support. The purpose of this study is to evaluate an innovative e-health intervention +/- social networking to reduce fear of recurrence, depression, and anxiety among cancer survivors. Methods: Eligibility criteria include 1) any cancer diagnosis (excluding basal or squamous cell skin cancers), 2) completed cancer treatment and in remission, with no evidence of disease or stable disease, 3) ECOG performance status 0-2, 4) at least 19 years of age, 5) no history of psychiatric hospitalization in the past 5 years and 6) not currently receiving psychosocial treatment. Participants are randomized by group into one of two conditions: e-health intervention versus e-health intervention + social networking component. The e-health intervention is an interactive website with 8 weeks of didactic material based on empirically supported cognitive behavioral strategies and tools to facilitate application of coping strategies. Optional modules teach behavioral management strategies for fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, cognitive dysfunction and body image concerns. The social networking feature includes structured interactions with cancer survivors randomized to the same group. Outcome measures include the Concerns about Recurrence scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, adherence to the intervention (website utilization) and EQ-5D to evaluate cost effectiveness. To date, 31 participants have been randomized: e-health intervention only (two groups, n = 8 per group), e-health + social networking (two groups, n = 6 and 9).

Motivational interviewing integrated with social network counseling for female adolescents: A randomized pilot study in urban primary care

This study tested the efficacy of a brief preventive intervention for substance use and associated risk behaviors among female adolescent patients of an urban primary care health clinic. We integrated an evidenced-based motivational interviewing (MI) approach with a social network component to develop a 20-minute session, a social network intervention delivered in an MI-consistent style. Female adolescents ( N = 28) 14 to 18 years old were recruited, provided consent/assent, were screened, and were randomly assigned to the treatment or control (no treatment) condition. The sample was 82% African American and 18% mixed race, with 32% living below the U.S. poverty line. At 1-month follow-up, teens in the treatment condition reported less trouble due to alcohol use, less substance use before sexual intercourse, less social stress, less offers for marijuana use, and increased readiness to start counseling compared with the teens in the control condition. Results provide support for socially based brief interventions with at-risk urban adolescents.

Computer-Mediated Support for Adolescents With Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida

Social support plays a key role in improving health outcomes for children with chronic conditions. Internet connections are an important component of adolescents' social networks and may overcome geographic and environmental barriers for those with disabilities. This article focuses on the processes associated with a 6-month online support intervention for adolescents with cerebral palsy or spina bifida. Specifically, the purpose was to determine the extent to which adolescents used an online peer support intervention, the processes used, and the perceived benefits and satisfaction with the intervention. Five peer mentors with the same disabilities provided information, affirmation, and emotional support. The online environment created a safe space to foster reciprocal interpersonal connections and appropriate social comparison. Two-thirds of the participants viewed the computer-mediated support intervention as fun. Factors influencing the perceived utility of the intervention included typing speed, cognitive skills, and perceived need for additional support. Girls were significantly more likely to contribute messages than were boys. Peer mentors wished that this type of support program had been available when they were teens, appreciated the supportive elements, and reported learning from the teen participants. Health professionals wanting to implement online support need to consider the age and ability levels of participants and the optimal length and format of the support program.

Composite Structure of Personal Networks, Age, and Well-being in Poland

Composite Structure of Personal Networks, Age, and Well-being in Poland Traditionally aging research focused on the disintegration of social ties, however it has recently been observed that whom we contact has a larger impact on well-being (Cacioppo et al., 2009). The authors used data from the Social Networks II module of the International Social Survey Programme to investigate the role of social network components in successful aging. A factor analysis on 1221 Polish participants revealed 4 factors that were interpreted as: close, medium, and distant family, and friends. Well-being variables were most strongly related to contact with distant family, while SS variables were most strongly related to friends. Given SS was strongly related to distant family, while perceived SS was strongly related to close family. All family contacts decreased with age, though only distant family contacts were proactively managed. These results indicate the importance of distant family in Poland, in contrast to other countries.

Egocentric Networks of Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men: Network Components, Condom Use Norms, and Safer Sex

Research on risk behaviors among men who have sex with men (MSM) is often based on individualistic models of health behavior, but sexual behavior is inherently social in nature and often determined by constituents of social networks. The objective of this study was to examine relationships among social networks, network norms of condom use, and safer sex. A respondent-driven sampling study recruited 350 MSM in the Shenzhen region of China between November and December 2007 and collected information on network components (relations, structures, and functions) and HIV risk behavior among egos (those interviewed) and their network alters. A total of 2385 alters were nominated by the 350 egos. Egos reported an average of 4 nonsexual relation alters and 2 sexual-partner alters. Egos perceived receiving more tangible and emotional support from nonsexual relation alters than from sexual-partner alters. Two thirds (69%) of egos consistently used condoms. Sixty-seven percent of egos reported having 1 or more alters who always encouraged egos to use condoms, 84% had 1 or more alters who consistently used condoms, and 55% had 1 or more alters who insisted on condom use. Both subjective and descriptive norms were positively associated with consistent condom use. Network components were associated with the levels of the two norms. These findings suggest that social network components may activate or strengthen condom use norms within networks, which, in turn, determine consistent condom use among MSM. HIV behavioral interventions need to target the promotion of safer sex practices through enhancing peer norms of condom use within networks.

The association between social networks and colorectal cancer screening in American males and females: data from the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey

We sought to explore the relationship between social networks and colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among males and females. We examined 960 men and 1,947 women aged 50 years or older who participated in the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey. Bivariate analysis showed that lower levels of social integration were associated with a lower likelihood of CRC screening for both genders. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, the level of social integration remained independently associated with CRC screening. The link between each component of social networks and CRC screening was also examined. Among men, those who did not have friends/family to talk to about their health were less likely to be screened (OR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.30-0.77). Among women, those who were unmarried (OR 0.67, 95% CI: 0.41-0.93), those who did not have friends/family to talk to about their health (OR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43-0.77), and those who were not a member of any community organizations (OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.43-0.90) were less likely to be screened. For both men and women, individuals who were socially isolated were less likely to get CRC screening compared with individuals who were less isolated. The observed gender differences indicate the need for investigation of the social context and the meaning of elements of social networks in men and women.

Social networks and health-related quality of life: a population based study among older adults

To examine the relationship between components of social networks and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in older adults with and without depressive symptoms. Comparative cross-sectional study with data from the cohort study 'Integral Study of Depression', carried out in Mexico City during 2004. The sample was selected through a multi-stage probability design. HRQL was measured with the SF-36. Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Short Anxiety Screening Test (SAST) determined depressive symptoms and anxiety. T-test and multiple linear regressions were conducted. Older adults with depressive symptoms had the lowest scores in all HRQL scales. A larger network of close relatives and friends was associated with better HRQL on several scales. Living alone did not significantly affect HRQL level, in either the study or comparison group. A positive association between some components of social networks and good HRQL exists even in older adults with depressive symptoms.

Understanding the Dynamics of Collective Learning: The Role of Trust and Social Capital

The problem and the solution. A focus on collective, as opposed to individual learning, points to the social network component of learning. Collective learning is fundamentally concerned with social interaction and the development of relational synergies.A key challenge to understanding social interaction is the influence of trust. Trust is important for social capital development and thus for collective learning.This article addresses a significant gap in the literature by reviewing the literature on collective learning, trust, and social capital theory and proposing a set of propositions for further research.The article also identifies a number of implications for HRD in tandem with each proposition.

Searching for the ‘You’ in ‘YouTube’: An Analysis of Online Response Ability

Enthusiasm for adding sociality to Web sites is mounting. Yet, the YouTube experience shows that participation in social networking sites is complex and potentially contentious. Meaningful participation in part depends upon participants' ability to respond to others and contribute to a site. While some participants demand more active involvement from administrators to create a safe and encouraging environment, others view intensive regulation as impairing their individual response ability to communicate with others and contribute. Discussions about adequate participation inevitably lead to a consideration of administrators' responsibility for creating an environment that provides sufficient opportunities for widespread and diverse participation. Before embarking on creating a community or adding intensive social networking components that may be monetized to a site, administrators should think carefully about the challenges that will likely ensue as participants become more passionate about the community and consequently make demands that seek contradictory optimal participatory environments.

Introduction. Social intelligence: from brain to culture

Humans are perhaps the most social animals. Although some eusocial insects, herd mammals and seabirds live in colonies comprising millions of individuals, no other species lives in such a variety of social groups as Homo sapiens . We live in many different sized societies, from small, nomadic hunter

Panel studies and migration

Attrition is a critical concern in panel data sets, and migration processes are an important influence affecting attrition. In this paper, we examine patterns of attrition in a household panel in a setting, Northeast Thailand, where migration effects are visible because refusing to participate is essentially non-existent. We develop a model of locating panel members, and then examine different stages of the follow-up process separately. Not only is the pattern of attrition influenced by a variety of individual, household, and community-level factors, but the types of variables that are important and the direction of their effects vary from stage to stage in the follow-up process. The findings are consistent with hypotheses derived from the migration literature. Our findings also hint that social network factors are important in locating those who had migrated, suggesting the importance of incorporating social network components in follow-up strategies.

Religion and Community among the Elderly: The Relationship between the Religious and Secular Characteristics of Their Social Networks

Research on religious commitment, social networks, and on disengagement/role continuity among the elderly has overlooked the potential connections between commitment and the structure of the elderly s social networks. This paper examines the interrelationship between the network characteristics and church attendance of the elderly, focusing particularly on the relationships among indicators of the religious and secular (community) aspects of those networks. Using a sample of 424 free-living elderly, the composition of intimate networks is examined. A series of "religious factor" hypotheses are tested, demonstrating that the religious factor components of social networks also predict other dimensions of networks. Similarly, "community factor" hypotheses are tested, demonstrating that social network elements such as their diversity affect their religious composition. :M . odernization promises to bring the disestablishment of religion, the decline of community, and the disengagement of the elderly from community life. These disruptions are said to result from the same set of causes. Forces of secularization, social mobility, and the decline of the family represent the stated causes of religious disestablishment while individualism, social mobility, and social disruption led by family dissolution have contributed to community decline and increased isolation of the elderly. Despite their similarity, observers rarely join the discussion of these reported declines in social life. Furthermore, while there exists some evidence that validates fears over the loss of community and religion and the disengagement of the elderly, researchers continue to find indications of high levels of community attachment, strong religious commitment, and social involvement by the elderly. Despite these findings, the possible kinship between robust religious institutions and strong communities in which they may be embedded tends to be overlooked (for exceptions see Ploch 1990; Hammond 1992; Ellison and George 1994; and Ammerman 1997). Similarly, the possibility that religion and community are mutually supportive is ignored. Few have asked whether increased involvement in religion tends to increase involvement in the community and whether a decline in community involvement reduces religious commitment. Finally, only a few researchers such as Cutler (Cutler and Danigelis 1993; Cutler 1976) have entertained the notion that role continuity and role

SOCIAL NETWORK AND ROLE DEMANDS IN WOMEN'S TYPE 2 DIABETES: A MODEL

Type 2 diabetes is a common chronic disease in middle-aged and older women. The social network, although an important source of support, can place conflicting demands on women who cope with a chronic disorder. Because this paradoxical situation can be a burden for many women a model was constructed to systematically investigate social network demands in women's Type 2 diabetes. In developing the model, network theory provided the framework and an extensive literature review determined which network components should be included. Material from our individual and focus group interviews was used to clarify the model. Traditional gender roles in the home, obligation profiles at the workplace, cultural expectations on women's bodies, and prejudice about the psychological etiology of women's diseases in health care, could all contribute to women's experiencing role conflict in their daily diabetes management. To systematically investigate potential deterrents to women's self-care, questions that address the different components of women's social networks are proposed.