Social Contexts, Sexual Networks, and Racial-Ethnic Disparities in STDs

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的研究部分探讨种族-民族隔离和不平等如何塑造性网络和性传播疾病（STD）的传播。使用来自全国青少年健康纵向调查（Add Health）的数据，我将探讨学校和社区层面的种族隔离和不平等如何影响性伙伴关系的形成。将“增加健康”的参数估计应用到模拟的性网络中，然后我将评估在不同人口构成和种族-民族不平等模式的环境中，性网络和疾病传播如何以不同的方式发展。在结构社会学理论的指导下，本研究采用跨学科的方法，并将可检验的社会科学假设应用于传染病流行病学问题。通过与导师和顾问的关系、课程作业和参加专业研讨会，这个项目的培训部分将使我能够扩大我在健康差异方面的工作，包括(i)更多地关注作为健康决定因素的社会背景和网络，以及（ii）新型传染性健康结果。拟议项目有三个职业发展目标：（一）获得传染病流行病学和网络分析方面的技能和专门知识；（ii）对美国种族间的性病差异进行原创性研究；（iii）准备一笔主要拨款，以支持在社会网络、健康差距和传染病方面的独立研究项目。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The research component of this project explores how racial-ethnic segregation and inequality shape sexual networks and the spread of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health), I will explore how racial- ethnic segregation and inequality at the school- and neighborhood-levels influence the formation of sexual partnerships. Applying parameter estimates from the Add Health to simulated sexual networks, I will then assess how sexual networks and disease diffusion may progress differently in settings with varying population compositions and patterns of racial-ethnic inequality. Informed by structural sociological theory, this research takes an interdisciplinary approach and applies testable social science hypotheses to problems of infectious disease epidemiology. Through relationships with mentors and advisors, coursework, and participation in professional seminars, the training component of this project would allow me to expand my work on health disparities to include (i) greater attention to social contexts and networks as determinants of health, and (ii) new types of contagious health outcomes. There are three career development objectives for the proposed project: (i) obtain skills and expertise in infectious disease epidemiology and network analysis; (ii) conduct original research on racial-ethnic STD disparities in the U.S.; and (iii) prepare a major grant to support an independent research program in social networks, health disparities, and infectious disease. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: There are large racial-ethnic disparities in sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. This project explores how racial-ethnic segregation and inequality across schools and neighborhoods shape the structure of sexual networks, and how differences in sexual networks may lead to different epidemic outcomes in communities with varying racial-ethnic and socioeconomic make-ups.