Networks and Health

Instructor: Tom Valente

One of the most significant applications of the social network approach is in the study of health, medicine, and human behaviors. Health applications of social network analysis (SNA) include but are not limited to understanding: (1) influences on individual behavior such as smoking, drinking, physical activity, substance use, and so on; (2) characteristics of community coalitions, (3) the spread of diseases and other infections; (3) evaluating the impact of interventions; and (4) designing and implementing network interventions. Major public health and medical publications routinely publish network studies and the health of individuals and populations is increasingly being seen as contingent on network characteristics.

This one-day workshop on networks and health extends the foundational learning participants have achieved during the week and shows how network theories and methods can be applied to substantive areas in health and medicine. The workshop covers ego-centric hypotheses, network interventions, diffusion of innovations, and community-based network studies. No hands-on exercises are provided but participants will learn the tools and approaches used to apply SNA to health topics; and R-scripts for network interventions and diffusion network modeling will be provided. The workshop is conducted by Tom Valente (Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California) who has over 25 years of research experience applying SNA to public health problems.

Readings

Valente, T. W. (1995). Network models of the diffusion of innovations . Cresskill , NJ : Hampton Press.

http://www-hsc.usc.edu/~tvalente/research.html

For more information, contact Tom Valente