IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v75y2012i7p1192-1201.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Candidate change agent identification among men at risk for HIV infection

Author

Listed:
  • Schneider, John A.
  • McFadden, Rachel B.
  • Laumann, Edward O.
  • Prem Kumar, S.G.
  • Gandham, Sabitha R.
  • Oruganti, Ganesh

Abstract

Despite limited HIV prevention potency, peer-based programs have become one of the most often used HIV prevention approaches internationally. These programs demonstrate a need for greater specificity in peer change agent (PCA) recruitment and social network evaluation. In the present three-phase study based in India (2009–2010), we first explored the nature of friendship among truck-drivers, a group of men at high risk for HIV infection, in order to develop a thorough understanding of the social forces that contribute to and maintain their personal networks. This was accomplished in the first two study phases through a combination of focus group discussions (n = 5 groups), in-depth qualitative interviews (n = 20), and personal network analyses (n = 25) of truck-drivers to define friendship and deepen our understanding of friendship across geographic spaces. Measures collected in phases I and II included friend typologies, discussion topics, social network influences, advice-giving, and risk reduction. Outcomes were assessed through an iterative process of qualitative textual analysis and social network analysis. The networks of truck-drivers were found to comprise three typologies: close friends, parking lot friends, and other friends. From these data, we developed an algorithmic approach to the identification of a candidate PCA within a high-risk man's personal network. In phase III we piloted field-use of this approach to identify and recruit PCAs, and further evaluated their potential for intervention through preliminary analysis of the PCA's own personal networks. An instrument was developed to translate what social network theory and analysis has taught us about egocentric network dynamics into a real-world methodology for identifying intervention-appropriate peers within an individual's personal network. Our approach can be tailored to the specifications of any high-risk population, and may serve to enhance current peer-based HIV interventions.

Suggested Citation

  • Schneider, John A. & McFadden, Rachel B. & Laumann, Edward O. & Prem Kumar, S.G. & Gandham, Sabitha R. & Oruganti, Ganesh, 2012. "Candidate change agent identification among men at risk for HIV infection," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(7), pages 1192-1201.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:75:y:2012:i:7:p:1192-1201
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.022
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612004509
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.05.022?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. Jukka-Pekka Onnela & Samuel Arbesman & Marta C González & Albert-László Barabási & Nicholas A Christakis, 2011. "Geographic Constraints on Social Network Groups," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(4), pages 1-7, April.
    2. Romer, D. & Black, M. & Ricardo, I. & Feigelman, S. & Kaljee, L. & Galbraith, J. & Nesbit, R. & Hornik, R.C. & Stanton, B., 1994. "Social influences on the sexual behavior of youth at risk for HIV exposure," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 84(6), pages 977-985.
    3. Cornman, Deborah H. & Schmiege, Sarah J. & Bryan, Angela & Joseph Benziger, T. & Fisher, Jeffrey D., 2007. "An information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model-based HIV prevention intervention for truck drivers in India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(8), pages 1572-1584, April.
    4. Latkin, Carl A. & Donnell, Deborah & Metzger, David & Sherman, Susan & Aramrattna, Apinun & Davis-Vogel, Annet & Quan, Vu Minh & Gandham, Sharavi & Vongchak, Tasanai & Perdue, Tom & Celentano, David D, 2009. "The efficacy of a network intervention to reduce HIV risk behaviors among drug users and risk partners in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Philadelphia, USA," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(4), pages 740-748, February.
    5. Kegeles, S.M. & Hays, R.B. & Coates, T.J., 1996. "The Mpowerment project: A community-level HIV prevention intervention for young gay men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 86(8), pages 1129-1136.
    6. Kelly, J.A. & St. Lawrence, J.S. & Diaz, Y.E. & Stevenson, L.Y. & Hauth, A.C. & Brasfield, T.L. & Kalichman, S.C. & Smith, J.E. & Andrew, M.E., 1991. "HIV risk behavior reduction following intervention with key opinion leaders of population: An experimental analysis," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 81(2), pages 168-171.
    7. Semaan, S. & Heckathorn, D.D. & Des Jarlais, D.C. & Garfein, R.S., 2010. "Ethical considerations in surveys employing respondent-driven sampling," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(4), pages 582-583.
    8. Webel, A.R. & Okonsky, J. & Trompeta, J. & Holzemer, W.L., 2010. "A systematic review of the effectiveness of peer-based interventions on health-related behaviors in adults," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(2), pages 247-253.
    9. Outlaw, A.Y. & Naar-King, S. & Parsons, J.T. & Green-Jones, M. & Janisse, H. & Secord, E., 2010. "Using motivational interviewing in HIV field outreach with young african american men who have sex with men: A randomized clinical trial," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 100(S1), pages 146-151.
    10. DeJong, J. & Mahfoud, Z. & Khoury, D. & Barbir, F. & Afifi, R.A., 2009. "Ethical considerations in HIV/AIDS biobehavioral surveys that use respondent-driven sampling: Illustrations from Lebanon," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(9), pages 1562-1567.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shelton, Rachel C. & Lee, Matthew & Brotzman, Laura E. & Crookes, Danielle M. & Jandorf, Lina & Erwin, Deborah & Gage-Bouchard, Elizabeth A., 2019. "Use of social network analysis in the development, dissemination, implementation, and sustainability of health behavior interventions for adults: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 81-101.
    2. Schneider, John A. & Zhou, A. Ning & Laumann, Edward O., 2015. "A new HIV prevention network approach: Sociometric peer change agent selection," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 192-202.

    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. Schneider, John A. & Zhou, A. Ning & Laumann, Edward O., 2015. "A new HIV prevention network approach: Sociometric peer change agent selection," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 192-202.
    2. Gayen, Kaberi & Raeside, Robert, 2007. "Social networks, normative influence and health delivery in rural Bangladesh," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 900-914, September.
    3. Dimitris Tsintsaris & Milan Tsompanoglou & Evangelos Ioannidis, 2024. "Dynamics of Social Influence and Knowledge in Networks: Sociophysics Models and Applications in Social Trading, Behavioral Finance and Business," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-27, April.
    4. Thomas W. Valente & Rebecca L. Davis, 1999. "Accelerating the Diffusion of Innovations Using Opinion Leaders," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 566(1), pages 55-67, November.
    5. Gao, Xue & Rai, Varun, 2023. "Knowledge acquisition and innovation quality: The moderating role of geographical characteristics of technology," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    6. Justin C. Baker & Craig J. Bryan & AnnaBelle O. Bryan & Christopher J. Button, 2021. "The Airman’s Edge Project: A Peer-Based, Injury Prevention Approach to Preventing Military Suicide," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-14, March.
    7. Tilman Brand & Claudia R. Pischke & Berit Steenbock & Johanna Schoenbach & Saskia Poettgen & Florence Samkange-Zeeb & Hajo Zeeb, 2014. "What Works in Community-Based Interventions Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Eating? A Review of Reviews," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-23, May.
    8. Moser, Stephanie & Mosler, Hans-Joachim, 2008. "Differences in influence patterns between groups predicting the adoption of a solar disinfection technology for drinking water in Bolivia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(4), pages 497-504, August.
    9. Andrea Galeotti & Sanjeev Goyal, 2009. "Influencing the influencers: a theory of strategic diffusion," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 40(3), pages 509-532, September.
    10. Crittenden, Kathleen S. & Kaponda, Chrissie P.N. & Jere, Diana L. & McCreary, Linda L. & Norr, Kathleen F., 2015. "Participation and diffusion effects of a peer-intervention for HIV prevention among adults in rural Malawi," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 136-144.
    11. Lakon, Cynthia M. & Valente, Thomas W., 2012. "Social integration in friendship networks: The synergy of network structure and peer influence in relation to cigarette smoking among high risk adolescents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(9), pages 1407-1417.
    12. Liggett-Creel, Kyla & Barth, Richard P. & Mayden, Bronwyn & Pitts, Britney E., 2017. "The Parent University Program: Factors predicting change in responsive parenting behaviors," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 10-20.
    13. Santi Phithakkitnukoon & Zbigniew Smoreda & Patrick Olivier, 2012. "Socio-Geography of Human Mobility: A Study Using Longitudinal Mobile Phone Data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(6), pages 1-9, June.
    14. Jean-Michel Mercier & Fardous Hosseiny & Sara Rodrigues & Anthony Friio & Suzette Brémault-Phillips & Duncan M. Shields & Gabrielle Dupuis, 2023. "Peer Support Activities for Veterans, Serving Members, and Their Families: Results of a Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-22, February.
    15. Alex Rutherford & Manuel Cebrian & Iyad Rahwan & Sohan Dsouza & James McInerney & Victor Naroditskiy & Matteo Venanzi & Nicholas R Jennings & J R deLara & Eero Wahlstedt & Steven U Miller, 2013. "Targeted Social Mobilization in a Global Manhunt," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(9), pages 1-8, September.
    16. Tzai-Hung Wen & Wei Chien Benny Chin, 2015. "Incorporation of Spatial Interactions in Location Networks to Identify Critical Geo-Referenced Routes for Assessing Disease Control Measures on a Large-Scale Campus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-15, April.
    17. Sascha Holzhauer & Friedrich Krebs & Andreas Ernst, 2013. "Considering baseline homophily when generating spatial social networks for agent-based modelling," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 128-150, June.
    18. Vincenzo Butticè & Diego Useche, 2022. "Crowdfunding to overcome the immigrant entrepreneurs’ liability of outsidership: the role of internal social capital," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1519-1540, December.
    19. Meysam Alizadeh & Claudio Cioffi-Revilla & Andrew Crooks, 2017. "Generating and analyzing spatial social networks," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 362-390, September.
    20. Keith James Topping, 2022. "Peer Education and Peer Counselling for Health and Well-Being: A Review of Reviews," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-19, May.

    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:75:y:2012:i:7:p:1192-1201. 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.