Center for Study of Networks and Well-Being

描述(由申请人提供)：我们的Roybal社交网络和福祉研究中心认识到，人们嵌入其中的复杂社交网络结构在个人和集体健康中发挥着重要作用，这一认识给我们带来了活力。我们工作的总体目标是(1)提出关于社交网络在产生与健康相关的具体结果方面的作用的重要问题；以及(2)开发回答这些问题的方法，部分是通过开发衡量网络及其影响的新方法，部分是通过对面对面和在线社交网络进行实验干预。我们主要关注的主题领域是“调查研究和数据收集的新方法”和“行为改变的机制”。我们的罗伊巴尔中心将专注于与幸福感相关的行为和心理社会因素的社会网络基础，如社交互动、孤独、残疾、多样化的健康行为、新药的采用等。我们的大部分工作是调查健康行为和“同伴效应”如何影响身体健康，甚至是预期寿命。我们的中心将支持调查面对面和在线社交网络的研究项目，以了解网络连接模式对健康和福祉的影响，我们将研究跨网络联系的现象流动如何影响健康和福祉。我们的具体目标是：(1)建立一个中心，帮助开发新的方法和概念框架，以了解社交网络对健康、保健、健康行为和福祉的影响；(2)资助试验项目，研究在线和面对面社交网络中的网络结构如何影响健康；以及(3)资助试验项目，研究网络结构中的行为、规范、信息、细菌等如何在“现实生活”社交网络(例如，医疗机构和工作场所)和在线网络中发生流动；(4)将试点项目的结果转化为帮助人们改善健康的具体建议；以及(5)将试点项目的结果转化为对政府、医疗保健提供者、保险公司和其他利益攸关方的政策建议。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our Roybal Center for the Study of Social Networks and Well-Being is animated by the recognition that complex social network structures in which people are embedded play an important role in individual and collective health. The overarching goals of our work are to (1) ask significant questions about the role of social networks in producing specific outcomes related to health; and (2) develop methods of answering such questions, in part by developing novel methods of measuring networks and their effects, and in part by experimentally intervening in both face-to-face and online social networks. Our primary thematic areas of focus are "novel methods for survey research and data collection" and "mechanisms of behavior change." And our Roybal Center will focus on the social network underpinnings of behavioral and psychosocial factors related to well-being, such as social interaction, loneliness, disability, diverse health behaviors, adoption of new drugs, and so on. And much of our work investigates how health behaviors and "peer effects" influence physical health and even life expectancy. Our Center will support research projects that examine both in-person and online social networks for the effects of patterns of network connections on health and wellbeing, and we will study how health and well-being are affected by the flow of phenomena across network ties. Our specific aims are to: (1) establish a Center that contributes to the development of new methods and conceptual frameworks for understanding social network effects on health, health care, health behavior, and well-being; (2) fund pilot projects that examine how network structure in online and face-to-face social networks affects health; and (3) fund pilot projects that examine how the flow of behaviors, norms, information, germs, etc., within network structures takes place both in "real life" social networks (e.g., health facilties and workplaces) and also in online networks; (4) translate the findings of pilot projects into concrete recommendations for helping people improve their health; and (5) translate the findings of pilot projects into policy recommendations for government, health care providers, insurers, and other stakeholders.