School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Am J Public Health. 2013 Feb;103(2):322-9. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300908. Epub 2012 Dec 13.
We examined how risk behaviors differentially connect a population at high risk for sexually transmitted infections.
Starting from observed networks representing the full risk network and the risk network among respondents only, we constructed a series of edge-deleted counterfactual networks that selectively remove sex ties, drug ties, and ties involving both sex and drugs and a comparison random set. With these edge-deleted networks, we have demonstrated how each tie type differentially contributes to the connectivity of the observed networks on a series of standard network connectivity measures (component and bicomponent size, distance, and transitivity ratio) and the observed network racial segregation.
Sex ties are unique from the other tie types in the network, providing wider reach in the network in relatively nonredundant ways. In this population, sex ties are more likely to bridge races than are other tie types.
Interventions derived from only 1 mode of transmission at a time (e.g., condom promotion or needle exchange) would have different potential for curtailing sexually transmitted infection spread through the population than would attempts that simultaneously address all risk-relevant behaviors.
我们研究了风险行为如何不同程度地将处于性传播感染高风险的人群联系起来。
从代表完整风险网络和仅受访者风险网络的观测网络开始，我们构建了一系列选择性删除性联系、药物联系以及同时涉及性和药物的联系的边缘删除反事实网络和一个比较随机集。通过这些边缘删除网络，我们展示了每种联系类型如何在一系列标准网络连接度量（组件和双组件大小、距离和传递率）以及观察到的网络种族隔离方面，不同程度地影响观测网络的连接性。
性联系在网络中与其他联系类型不同，以相对非冗余的方式提供更广泛的网络覆盖范围。在该人群中，性联系比其他联系类型更有可能跨越种族。
每次仅从一种传播模式（例如，推广避孕套或进行针具交换）得出的干预措施，对遏制性传播感染在人群中的传播的潜在作用可能与同时解决所有与风险相关的行为的尝试不同。
