Mapping the Social Network Structure and Composition of Black Individuals With Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Conditions
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe the social networks of Black individuals with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions and understand the clustering of health-related behaviors to inform future community-based, peer-led interventions. METHODS: We used an adapted Personal Network Survey for Clinical Research (PERSNET) to map the personal social networks of Black individuals with rheumatic conditions in Boston and Chicago. We used egocentric network analyses to quantify network composition and descriptive statistics and Welch's two-sample t-tests to assess network characteristics and behavioral concordance between participants and their network members. RESULTS: We mapped the social networks of 40 individuals with rheumatic conditions in Boston and Chicago. All participants self-identified as Black, with six indicating Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. One participant self-identified as male. Networks had a median size of 10, with 54% of all possible ties present and an average of 5 structurally distinct connections within each network. Boston networks had a larger proportion of kin (71%) compared to those in Chicago (40%). There was greater diversity in sex and education within Boston networks. Chicago networks displayed more balanced strong and weak ties and higher prevalence of health problems within networks. Smoking and drinking behaviors clustered within networks across both sites, which may reflect patterns of behavioral homophily or social influence. CONCLUSION: Differences in network density, constraint, and diversity highlight structural and relational patterns that may influence how health behaviors develop. They also reveal network configurations that position individuals to act as bridges, introducing new information and behaviors into communities where medical mistrust and systemic inequities undermine health messaging.
Source: Arthritis Care & Research
DOI: 10.1002/acr.80151
Authors: Taussia Boadi, Amar Dhand, Leah Santacroce, Neil Pillai, Komel Safdar, Mia T. Chandler, Ariel Childs, Monica Crespo‐Bosque, Gina Curry, Mary Dollear, Alice Eggleston, Daniel Erickson, Dieufort Fleurissaint, Denice Garrett, Gail Granville, Tyler Green, Magdalena Hamielec, Elena Losina, Karen Mancera‐Cuevas, Mary Ann Nelson, Chisa Nosamiefan, Bisola Ojikutu, Tonya S. Roberson, Mary Beth Son, Marie Jacques Toussaint, Michael York, Rosalind Ramsey‐Goldman, Candace H. Feldman
Institutions: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Northwestern University, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Wake Forest University, Boston Medical Center, University of Chicago, True (United States), Harvard University, National Health Council, Boston Public Health Commission, Governors State University, Boston Children's Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,640
OpenAlex ID: W7204885769
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