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Friendship networks and sun safety behavior among children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 May 2016

JENNIFER TSAI ,
THOMAS W. VALENTE ,
KIMBERLY A. MILLER ,
KAYLA DE LA HAYE ,
TREVOR A. PICKERING  and
MYLES G. COCKBURN
JENNIFER TSAI
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
THOMAS W. VALENTE
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
KIMBERLY A. MILLER
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
KAYLA DE LA HAYE
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
TREVOR A. PICKERING
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
MYLES G. COCKBURN
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA (e-mail: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected])
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Abstract

Social networks, particularly those defined by friendships, influence many childhood and adolescent health behaviors such as the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, as well as diet and physical activity. Few, if any, studies have examined the concordance between friendship networks and sun exposure/safety behaviors. This study examines the friendship networks and sun safety behaviors for a group of fourth and fifth grade students taking part in a larger sun safety intervention, “SunSmart” (n = 128). Intra-class correlation, homophily hypothesis testing, and exponential random graph models were used to test friendship homophily based on sun safety behaviors. Peer Leaders were identified through social network popularity, and sun safety change scores were compared between Peer Leaders and non-leaders. Results show that students cluster based on shared demographic characteristics and some sun safety behaviors, and that there was a trend for Peer Leaders to respond better to the SunSmart intervention than non-leaders. Implications for future sun safety interventions using Peer Leaders as champions for sun safety behavior change are discussed.

Keywords

sun safetychildrenpeer leaderssocial networkspeer influence
Type
Research Article
Information
Network Science , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , September 2016 , pp. 314 - 335
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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