IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v329y2023ics0277953623003635.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social network-structural position and obesity: Evidence from a national study

Author

Listed:
  • Lim, Jaeun
  • Cornwell, Benjamin

Abstract

This study expands on research on the social-structural bases of obesity by examining the role played by individuals' positions within their egocentric social networks in shaping body mass index. We argue that individuals’ tendency to be a bridge between otherwise unconnected people can affect body mass index. Furthermore, health-specific resources flowing through their networks might interact with this network-structural position to shape this association. Using multivariate analyses of recent nationally representative data on older Americans, we find that occupying a bridging position within a network is negatively related to the likelihood of being obese. Moreover, people who have this bridging potential tend to benefit more from health-related knowledge in their networks than those who do not have it. Our findings underscore the importance of considering social network position and the functional specificity of ties in understanding the structural bases of health problems like obesity. We close by discussing implications of these findings for future work on obesity including potential insights into important health disparities.

Suggested Citation

  • Lim, Jaeun & Cornwell, Benjamin, 2023. "Social network-structural position and obesity: Evidence from a national study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 329(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:329:y:2023:i:c:s0277953623003635
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623003635
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhang, J. & Tong, L. & Lamberson, P.J. & Durazo-Arvizu, R.A. & Luke, A. & Shoham, D.A., 2015. "Leveraging social influence to address overweight and obesity using agent-based models: The role of adolescent social networks," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 203-213.
    2. Qi Zhang & Youfa Wang, 2004. "Secular Trends In Socioeconomic Inequality Of Obesity In The United States," Research on Economic Inequality, in: Studies on Economic Well-Being: Essays in the Honor of John P. Formby, pages 481-499, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    3. Sharon R. Williams & Genevieve Pham-Kanter & Sara A. Leitsch, 2009. "Measures of Chronic Conditions and Diseases Associated With Aging in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 64(suppl_1), pages 67-75.
    4. Lim, Jaegeum & Meer, Jonathan, 2018. "How do peers influence BMI? Evidence from randomly assigned classrooms in South Korea," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 17-23.
    5. Cattell, Vicky, 2001. "Poor people, poor places, and poor health: the mediating role of social networks and social capital," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 52(10), pages 1501-1516, May.
    6. Peter G. Kopelman, 2000. "Obesity as a medical problem," Nature, Nature, vol. 404(6778), pages 635-643, April.
    7. Schaefer, D.R. & Simpkins, S.D., 2014. "Using social network analysis to clarify the role of obesity in selection of adolescent friends," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(7), pages 1223-1229.
    8. Katherine L. Fiori & Toni C. Antonucci & Kai S. Cortina, 2006. "Social Network Typologies and Mental Health Among Older Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 61(1), pages 25-32.
    9. Wells, Jonathan C.K. & Marphatia, Akanksha A. & Cole, Tim J. & McCoy, David, 2012. "Associations of economic and gender inequality with global obesity prevalence: Understanding the female excess," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 482-490.
    10. Amanda Whelan & Neil Wrigley & Daniel Warm & Elizabeth Cannings, 2002. "Life in a 'Food Desert'," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 39(11), pages 2083-2100, October.
    11. Tjur, Tue, 2009. "Coefficients of Determination in Logistic Regression Models—A New Proposal: The Coefficient of Discrimination," The American Statistician, American Statistical Association, vol. 63(4), pages 366-372.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Brunello, Giorgio & Sanz-de-Galdeano, Anna & Terskaya, Anastasia, 2020. "Not only in my genes: The effects of peers’ genotype on obesity," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    2. Andrea L. Sparks & Neil Bania & Laura Leete, 2011. "Comparative Approaches to Measuring Food Access in Urban Areas," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 48(8), pages 1715-1737, June.
    3. repec:sae:envval:v:22:y:2013:i:3:p:401-413 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Ingo Geishecker & Philipp J. H. Schröder & Allan S⊘rensen, 2019. "One‐off export events," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(1), pages 93-131, February.
    5. Hanibuchi, Tomoya & Murata, Yohei & Ichida, Yukinobu & Hirai, Hiroshi & Kawachi, Ichiro & Kondo, Katsunori, 2012. "Place-specific constructs of social capital and their possible associations to health: A Japanese case study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 225-232.
    6. Fischer, Justina A.V., 2012. "Globalization and social networks," MPRA Paper 40404, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Mirela DAMIAN & Antoanela OLTEAN & Cosmin DAMIAN, 2018. "The Impact of sedentary behavior on health and the need for physical activity in children and adolescents," Revista romaneasca pentru educatie multidimensionala - Journal for Multidimensional Education, Editura Lumen, Department of Economics, vol. 10(1), pages 71-83, March.
    8. Liping Ye & Xinping Zhang, 2021. "The association mechanism between social network types and health‐related behaviours among the elderly in rural Hubei Province, China," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3), pages 826-846, May.
    9. McNeill, Lorna Haughton & Kreuter, Matthew W. & Subramanian, S.V., 2006. "Social Environment and Physical activity: A review of concepts and evidence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 1011-1022, August.
    10. Daifeng Xiang & Gangsheng Wang & Jing Tian & Wanyu Li, 2023. "Global patterns and edaphic-climatic controls of soil carbon decomposition kinetics predicted from incubation experiments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    11. Chengquan Li & Can Zhang, 2024. "Transformative Perspectives in Physical Education Evaluation: Empowering Diverse Stakeholders for Holistic Learning Experiences in the Era of Big Data," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 13334-13360, September.
    12. Hale, James & Knapp, Corrine & Bardwell, Lisa & Buchenau, Michael & Marshall, Julie & Sancar, Fahriye & Litt, Jill S., 2011. "Connecting food environments and health through the relational nature of aesthetics: Gaining insight through the community gardening experience," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(11), pages 1853-1863, June.
    13. González-Casado, Miguel A. & Molina, Jose Luis & Sánchez, Angel, 2023. "Towards a General Typology of Personal Network Structures," SocArXiv 23efd, Center for Open Science.
    14. Fatiha Bennia & Nicolas Gravel & Brice Magdalou & Patrick Moyes, 2022. "Is body weight better distributed among men than among women? A robust normative analysis for France, the UK, and the US," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 124(1), pages 69-103, January.
    15. Laurion, Henry, 2020. "Implications of Non-GAAP earnings for real activities and accounting choices," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1).
    16. Damiano Fiorillo & Nunzia Nappo, 2014. "Job satisfaction in Italy: individual characteristics and social relations," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 41(8), pages 683-704, August.
    17. Laura H. Antão & Benjamin Weigel & Giovanni Strona & Maria Hällfors & Elina Kaarlejärvi & Tad Dallas & Øystein H. Opedal & Janne Heliölä & Heikki Henttonen & Otso Huitu & Erkki Korpimäki & Mikko Kuuss, 2022. "Climate change reshuffles northern species within their niches," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 12(6), pages 587-592, June.
    18. Adena, Maja & Myck, Michal, 2013. "Poverty and Transitions in Health," IZA Discussion Papers 7532, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Kathryn Teigen De Master & Jess Daniels, 2019. "Desert wonderings: reimagining food access mapping," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 241-256, June.
    20. Krzysztof Kościński, 2012. "Hand attractiveness—its determinants and associations with facial attractiveness," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 23(2), pages 334-342.
    21. Christos Nicolaides & Demetris Avraam & Luis Cueto‐Felgueroso & Marta C. González & Ruben Juanes, 2020. "Hand‐Hygiene Mitigation Strategies Against Global Disease Spreading through the Air Transportation Network," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 723-740, April.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:329:y:2023:i:c:s0277953623003635. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.