• Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners
  • Human Impact Partners

Human Impact Partners Evidence Base

Evidence Base Home » Social Cohesion and Social Integration » Strong social ties or a dense social network can have negative health effects if unhealthy behaviors are promoted or infectious disease agents are transmitted in the network

Articles in Strong social ties or a dense social network can have negative health effects if unhealthy behaviors are promoted or infectious disease agents are transmitted in the network.

  • Social networks with a high level of social influence can promote unhealthy norms of behavior, such as smoking, alcohol consumption unhealthy dietary patterns, physical inactivity and damaging sexual practices.

    Chen PH, White HR, Pandina RJ. 2001. Predictors of smoking cessation from adolescence into young adulthood. Addict. Behav. 26(4):517–29.
    Andrews JA, Tildesley E, Hops H, Li FZ. 2002. The influence of peers on young adult substance use. Health Psychol. 21(4):349–57.
    Berkman L, Glass T, Brissette T, Seeman TE. 2000. From Social Integration to Health: Durkheim in the New Millennium’, Social Science and Medicine 51: 843–57.

  • Dense social networks can serve as vectors for the spread of infectious disease agents such as HIV, tuberculosis, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and pneumonia.

    Pronyk PM, Harpham T, Morison, LA, Hargreaves JR, Kim JC, Phetla G, Watts CH, Porter JD. 2008. Is social capital associated with HIV risk in rural South Africa? Social Science & Medicine 66(9): 1999-2010.
    Latkin C, Mandell W, Vlahov D, Knowlton A, Oziemkowska M, Celentano D. 1995. Personal network characteristics as antecedents to needle-sharing and shooting gallery attendance. Soc. Netw. 17(3–4):219–28.
    Klovdahl AS, Graviss EA, Yaganehdoost A, RossMW,Wanger A, et al. 2001. Networks and tuberculosis: an undetected community outbreak involving public places. Soc. Sci. Med. 52(5):681–94.
    Meyers LA, Pourbohloul B, Newman MEJ, SkowronskiDM,Brunham RC. 2005. Network theory and SARS: predicting outbreak diversity. J. Theor. Biol. 232(1):71–81.
    Meyers LA, Newman MEJ, Martin M, Schrag S. 2003. Applying network theory to epidemics: control measures for Mycoplasma pneumoniae outbreaks. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 9(2):204–10.

  • When supportive behaviors provided by family members and lovers are perceived to be harmful or critical, they may not meet the health needs of the recipient or lead to unintended negative outcomes.

    Gallant MP, Spitze GD, Prohaska TR. 2007. Help or Hindrance?: How Family and Friends Influence Chronic Illness Self-Management among Older Adults. Research on Aging 29:375-409.
    Hogan BE, Linden W, Najarian B. 2002. Social support interventions: Do they work? Clinical Psychology Review 22:381-440.

  • Social events and gatherings organized by friends and family may pose difficulties in illness management if social practices conflict with treatment regimens.

    Gallant MP. 2003. The influence of social support on chronic illness self-management: a review and directions for research. Health Education & behavior 30:170-195.
    Schlundt DG, Rea MR, Kline SS, Pichert JW. 1994. Situational obstacles to dietary adherence for adults with diabetes. J Am Diet Assoc 94:874-876, 879.