Department of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California.
Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina; Prevention Research Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
Am J Prev Med. 2017 Sep;53(3):385-391. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.04.007. Epub 2017 Jun 7.
Despite known benefits of regular physical activity (PA), residents of low-income communities have disproportionately high rates of physical inactivity. Mounting evidence suggests that social network characteristics may be associated with health behaviors, including PA. The purpose of the current study was to examine associations between egocentric network characteristics and meeting PA guidelines among residents of low-income and predominantly African-American communities.
Data from the Greenville Healthy Neighborhoods Project (2014), a cross-sectional study, examined social network characteristics, including the PA behavior of social ties, and whether participants met PA guidelines (150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise). Respondent-driven sampling (non-random) was utilized to recruit participants (n=430) within eight low-income communities. Logistic regression analyses, performed in 2016, included robust sandwich estimation to account for clustering (non-independence) of observations.
Participants were predominantly older (M=54.4 years, SD=15.1 years), African American (88.0%), and female (70.7%). More than one third of participants had an annual household income <$15,000 (41.6%) or reported meeting the current aerobic PA guidelines (45.8%). Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, greater network extensity (based on the occupation of ego's network ties; OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03, 1.20, p=0.02) and a higher percentage of physically active network members (OR=1.97, 95% CI=1.02, 3.82, p=0.04) were associated with higher odds of meeting PA guidelines.
Social network characteristics are associated with individual PA behavior among residents of low-income communities. Interventions to increase PA among low-income and predominantly African-American communities should leverage personal networks, including the implementation of walking groups or buddy systems.
尽管经常进行身体活动（PA）有已知的好处，但低收入社区的居民身体活动不足的比例过高。越来越多的证据表明，社交网络特征可能与健康行为有关，包括 PA。本研究的目的是检验以自我为中心的网络特征与低收入和以非裔美国人为主的社区居民达到 PA 指南之间的关系。
来自格林维尔健康社区项目（2014 年）的横断面研究数据，研究了社交网络特征，包括社交关系的 PA 行为，以及参与者是否达到 PA 指南（每周 150 分钟的有氧运动）。采用响应式驱动抽样（非随机）在 8 个低收入社区内招募参与者（n=430）。2016 年进行的逻辑回归分析采用稳健的三明治估计法来考虑观察结果的聚类（非独立性）。
参与者主要是年龄较大（M=54.4 岁，SD=15.1 岁）、非裔美国人（88.0%）和女性（70.7%）。超过三分之一的参与者年收入<15,000 美元（41.6%）或报告达到当前有氧运动 PA 指南（45.8%）。控制社会人口统计学特征后，网络广度更大（基于自我网络关系的职业；OR=1.11，95%CI=1.03，1.20，p=0.02）和更多的活跃网络成员（OR=1.97，95%CI=1.02，3.82，p=0.04）与达到 PA 指南的可能性更高相关。
社交网络特征与低收入社区居民的个体 PA 行为有关。在低收入和以非裔美国人为主的社区中增加 PA 的干预措施应利用个人网络，包括实施步行团体或伙伴系统。
