Social network diagnostics: a tool for monitoring group interventions
Social network diagnostics: a tool for monitoring group interventions
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DOI：
10.1186/1748-5908-8-116
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发表时间：
2013-10-01
影响因子：
7.2
通讯作者：
Valente, Thomas W.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Gesell, Sabina B.;Barkin, Shari L.;Valente, Thomas W.
背景：许多旨在改善健康结果的行为干预措施都是在群体环境中实施的。然而，到目前为止，组干预措施尚未进行评估，以确定是否组产生成员之间的互动，以及如何在组互动的变化可能会影响程序的结果在个人或组level.Methods：本文提出了一个模型和实用的工具，用于监测社会关系和社会结构是如何改变组内的程序执行过程中。该方法基于社会网络分析，分为两个阶段：在战略干预点收集网络测量值，以确定群体动态是否以干预预期的方式发展，并将结果反馈给组长，以指导实施下一步。这一过程旨在最初增加网络连通性，并最终加速理想行为在新网络中的扩散。本文介绍了社会网络诊断工具，并作为概念的证明，试点数据收集的形成阶段的儿童肥胖intervention.Results：报告的咨询合作伙伴和讨论伙伴的数量增加，在计划实施过程中。密度，即网络中人与人之间的联系数量，表示为所有可能联系的百分比，从0.082增加到0.182（p < 0.05）在建议网络中，从0.027到0.055（p > 0.05）。结论：观察到的网络密度增加了两倍，表明在干预期间咨询伙伴发生了重大变化。使用社会网络工具来经验性地指导肥胖干预的项目活动是可行的。
Background: Many behavioral interventions designed to improve health outcomes are delivered in group settings. To date, however, group interventions have not been evaluated to determine if the groups generate interaction among members and how changes in group interaction may affect program outcomes at the individual or group level.Methods: This article presents a model and practical tool for monitoring how social ties and social structure are changing within the group during program implementation. The approach is based on social network analysis and has two phases: collecting network measurements at strategic intervention points to determine if group dynamics are evolving in ways anticipated by the intervention, and providing the results back to the group leader to guide implementation next steps. This process aims to initially increase network connectivity and ultimately accelerate the diffusion of desirable behaviors through the new network. This article presents the Social Network Diagnostic Tool and, as proof of concept, pilot data collected during the formative phase of a childhood obesity intervention.Results: The number of reported advice partners and discussion partners increased during program implementation. Density, the number of ties among people in the network expressed as a percentage of all possible ties, increased from 0.082 to 0.182 (p < 0.05) in the advice network, and from 0.027 to 0.055 (p > 0.05) in the discussion network.Conclusions: The observed two-fold increase in network density represents a significant shift in advice partners over the intervention period. Using the Social Network Tool to empirically guide program activities of an obesity intervention was feasible.