Assessing the availability of trusted health information in a rural Appalachia community using social network analysis

Brittany L. Smalls; Katherine Eddens; Aaron Kruse-Diehr; Edith Williams; Courtney L. Ortz

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13774

Assessing the availability of trusted health information in a rural Appalachia community using social network analysis

Brittany L. Smalls, Katherine Eddens, Aaron Kruse-Diehr, Edith Williams, Courtney L. Ortz

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how trusted health information is transmitted within a rural Appalachian community. Egocentric social network methods were used to identify and characterize influential community members (“alters”) that participants (“egos”) go to for trusted health advice. Friends and “other health professionals” were named most frequently as health advice alters, and health advice was described as frequent and helpful. Participants could count on their health advice network for multiple forms of social support. Understanding trusted sources of health advice will allow us to identify community members to serve as change agents for rural T2DM interventions.

Original language	English
Article number	e13774
Journal	Heliyon
Volume	9
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13774
State	Published - Mar 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors

Funding

Dr Brittany L. Smalls was supported by National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [ 5K01DK116923 ].

Funders	Funder number
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases	5K01DK116923

Keywords

Health information
Rural Appalachia
Social network
Social support

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Access to Document

10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13774

Cite this

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abstract = "The purpose of this study was to investigate how trusted health information is transmitted within a rural Appalachian community. Egocentric social network methods were used to identify and characterize influential community members (“alters”) that participants (“egos”) go to for trusted health advice. Friends and “other health professionals” were named most frequently as health advice alters, and health advice was described as frequent and helpful. Participants could count on their health advice network for multiple forms of social support. Understanding trusted sources of health advice will allow us to identify community members to serve as change agents for rural T2DM interventions.",

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AB - The purpose of this study was to investigate how trusted health information is transmitted within a rural Appalachian community. Egocentric social network methods were used to identify and characterize influential community members (“alters”) that participants (“egos”) go to for trusted health advice. Friends and “other health professionals” were named most frequently as health advice alters, and health advice was described as frequent and helpful. Participants could count on their health advice network for multiple forms of social support. Understanding trusted sources of health advice will allow us to identify community members to serve as change agents for rural T2DM interventions.

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Assessing the availability of trusted health information in a rural Appalachia community using social network analysis

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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