An actor-based model of social network influence on adolescent body size, screen time, and playing sports
Shoham DA, Tong L, Lamberson PJ, Auchincloss AH, Zhang J, Dugas L, Kaufman JS, Cooper RS, Luke A
PloS one · 73 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cohort study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- National Institutes of Health
- University or hospital
- Gillings School of Public Health
- University or hospital
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Government
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Government
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Government
- NICHD NIH HHS
- Grants
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P01-HD031921); National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P01-HD31921); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD 31921); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U01 HD061978); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P01- HD31921); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD061978); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (P01‐HD31921); National Institutes of Health (P01-HD31921)
Based on 6 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2012-06-29 · PLoS One · vol. 7 · issue 6 · p. e39795
- Publisher
- Public Library of Science
- Cited
- 133 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 11.4× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 54 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Mental Health Research Topics · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Complex Network Analysis Techniques
- Keywords
- social contagion, adolescent obesity, body mass index, screen time, physical activity, homophily, social influence, friendship selection, social networks, stochastic actor-oriented models, peer influence, school networks
- MeSH
- humans, obesity, body mass index, body size, role playing, stochastic processes, adolescent behavior, ego, peer group, models, theoretical, time factors, social support, video games, sports, adolescent, female, male
9 authors
From US, CA
- David A. Shoham · correspondingLoyola University Chicago; Loyola Medicine
- Liping TongLoyola University Chicago; Loyola Medicine
- Peter J. LambersonNorthwestern University
- Amy H. AuchinclossDrexel University
- Jun ZhangLoyola University Chicago; Loyola Medicine
- Lara Ruth DugasLoyola University Chicago; Loyola Medicine
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that obesity may be "contagious" between individuals in social networks. Social contagion (influence), however, may not be identifiable using traditional statistical approaches because they cannot distinguish contagion from homophily (the propensity for individuals to select friends who are similar to themselves) or from shared environmental influences. In this paper, we apply the stochastic actor-based model (SABM) framework developed by Snijders and colleagues to data on adolescent body mass index (BMI), screen time, and playing active sports. Our primary hypothesis was that social influences on adolescent body size and related behaviors are independent of friend selection. Employing the SABM, we simultaneously modeled network dynamics (friendship selection based on homophily and structural characteristics of the network) and social influence. We focused on the 2 largest schools in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and held the school environment constant by examining the 2 school networks separately (N = 624 and 1151). Results show support in both schools for homophily on BMI, but also for social influence on BMI. There was no evidence of homophily on screen time in either school, while only one of the schools showed homophily on playing active sports. There was, however, evidence of social influence on screen time in one of the schools, and playing active sports in both schools. These results suggest that both homophily and social influence are important in understanding patterns of adolescent obesity. Intervention efforts should take into consideration peers' influence on one another, rather than treating "high risk" adolescents in isolation.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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