scholarly journals Estimating Contextual Effects from Ego Network Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 215-275
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Smith ◽  
G. Robin Gauthier

Network concepts are often used to characterize the features of a social context. For example, past work has asked if individuals in more socially cohesive neighborhoods have better mental health outcomes. Despite the ubiquity of use, it is relatively rare for contextual studies to use the methods of network analysis. This is the case, in part, because network data are difficult to collect, requiring information on all ties between all actors. In this article the authors ask whether it is possible to avoid such heavy data collection while still retaining the best features of a contextual-network study. The basic idea is to apply network sampling to the problem of contextual models, in which one uses sampled ego network data to infer the network features of each context and then uses the inferred network features as second-level predictors in a hierarchical linear model. The authors test the validity of this idea in the case of network cohesion. Using two complete data sets as a test, the authors find that ego network data are sufficient to capture the relationship between cohesion and important outcomes, such as attachment and deviance. The hope, going forward, is that researchers will find it easier to incorporate holistic network measures into traditional regression models.

Author(s):  
Maria Priscila Wermelinger Ávila ◽  
Jimilly Caputo Corrêa ◽  
Alessandra Lamas Granero Lucchetti ◽  
Giancarlo Lucchetti

The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the association between resilience and mental health in older adults and to determine the influence of physical activity on this relationship. A total of 291 older adults were included in a 2-year follow-up study. Adjusted linear regression models evaluated the association between resilience at baseline and mental health after 2 years in sufficiently and insufficiently physically active older adults. A negative correlation was found between resilience at baseline and depression, anxiety, and stress after 2 years for the overall sample. This association changed after stratifying the group. Sufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of the resilience components “Self-Sufficiency” and “Perseverance,” whereas insufficiently physically active individuals made greater use of “Meaning of Life” and “Existential Singularity.” Physical activity can influence the relationship between resilience and mental health. These results can help guide the devising of more effective interventions for this age group.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 409-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim R. Manturuk

What are the mechanisms responsible for homeowners’ better mental health? Social disorganization theory suggests that the relationship between homeownership and mental health is mediated by perceived sense of control, trust in neighbors, and residential stability. This hypothesis is tested using data collected from respondents in 30 low–wealth urban areas. Using propensity score matching and regression models, I find that low–income homeowners report a greater sense of control and trust in their neighbors than comparable renters. Homeownership likewise has an impact on mental health, but the effect is entirely mediated by perceived sense of control. Part of that mediating effect is related to avoiding serious delinquency in mortgage payments. However, subjective trust and residential mobility did not mediate the relationship between homeownership and mental health. The study findings are discussed in light of the need for a cohesive theory of homeownership, particularly given changing economic realities.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth J Griffith ◽  
Kelvyn Jones

Mental illness and mental wellbeing are related but distinct constructs. Despite this, geographical enquiry often references the two as interchangeable indicators of mental health and assumes the relationship between the two is consistent across different geographical scales. Furthermore, the importance of geography in such research is commonly assumed to be static for all age groups, despite the large body of evidence demonstrating contextual effects in age-specific populations. We leverage simultaneous measurement of a mental illness and mental wellbeing metric from Understanding Society, a UK population-based survey, and employ bivariate, cross-classified multilevel modelling to characterise the relationship between geographical context and mental health. Results provide strong evidence for contextual effects for both responses before and after covariate adjustment, with weaker evidence for area-classification and PSU-level contextual effects for the GHQ-12 after covariate adjustment. Results support a two-continua model of mental health at the individual level, but indicates that consensual benefit may be achieved across both dimensions by intervening at household and regional levels. There is also some evidence of a greater contextual effects for mental wellbeing than for mental illness. Results highlight the potential of the household as a target for intervention design for consensual benefit across both constructs. Results highlight the increased importance of geographical context for older respondents across both responses. This research supports an area-based approach to improving both mental illness and mental wellbeing in older populations.


Author(s):  
Andrew Stickley ◽  
Tetsuya Matsubayashi ◽  
Michiko Ueda

Abstract Background There is some evidence that loneliness may be linked to poorer health behaviours. Despite this, there has been little research to date on the relationship between loneliness and COVID-19 preventive behaviours. We studied these associations in a sample of the Japanese population. Methods Data were analysed from an online survey of 2000 adults undertaken in April and May 2020. Loneliness was assessed with the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Information was also collected on 13 COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Regression analyses were used to examine associations. Results In linear regression models adjusted for demographic and mental health variables, both dichotomous and continuous loneliness measures were negatively associated with engaging in COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Logistic regression analyses further showed that loneliness was also associated with reduced odds for a variety of individual preventive behaviours including wearing a mask (odds ratio [OR]: 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62–0.95), disinfecting hands (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67–0.94) and social distancing when outdoors (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61–0.92). Conclusions Loneliness is associated with lower engagement in COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Interventions to prevent or ameliorate loneliness during the ongoing pandemic may be important in combating the spread of the coronavirus.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan D. A. Hart ◽  
Michael N. Weiss ◽  
Lauren J. N. Brent ◽  
Daniel W. Franks

The non-independence of social network data is a cause for concern among behavioural ecologists conducting social network analysis. This has led to the adoption of several permutation-based methods for testing common hypotheses. One of the most common types of analysis is nodal regression, where the relationships between node-level network metrics and nodal covariates are analysed using a permutation technique known as node-label permutation. We show that, contrary to accepted wisdom, node-label permutations do not account for the types of non-independence assumed to exist in network data, because regression-based permutation tests still assume exchangeability of residuals. The same theoretical condition also applies to the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP), a permutation-based method often used for conducting dyadic regression. We highlight that node-label permutations produce the same p-values as equivalent parametric regression models, but that in the presence of confounds, parametric regression models produce more accurate effect size estimates. We also note that QAP only controls for a specific type of non-independence between edges that are connected to the same nodes, and that appropriate parametric regression models are also able to account for this type of non-independence. Based on this, we advocate the retirement of permutation tests for regression analyses, in favour of well-specified parametric models. Moving away from permutation-based methods will reduce over-reliance on p-values, generate more reliable estimates of effect sizes, and facilitate the adoption of more powerful types of statistical analysis.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Guevremont ◽  
Evelyne Bougie ◽  
Dafna Kohen

First Nations children in Canada often experience poorer housing conditions than other Canadian children. This study used the 2006 Aboriginal Children’s Survey to examine the relationship between housing and physical and mental health for First Nations preschool-aged children living off-reserve. This study provides evidence that the physical, spatial, and psychological aspects of housing in which young off-reserve First Nations children live are associated with their physical and mental health, even after controlling for family socioeconomic factors, area of residence, and child’s age and sex (analyzed with regression models). In particular, homeownership, parental satisfaction with housing, and number of moves per year were all associated with multiple physical and mental health outcomes. Future research is needed to further investigate the mechanisms at play.


1990 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 1148-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura J. Richards ◽  
Jon T. Schnute

In this paper we describe a general method for determining the relationship between fecundity and another fish attribute, such as size or age. Our methods include linear and logarithmic regression models as special cases and are applicable to a wide range of situations. The model we propose is based on the univariate form of the Schnute–Jensen dose–response model. However, we extend the Schnute–Jensen analysis by describing exact inference regions obtained from likelihood contours, to which we assign nominal probability levels. We also provide a method for obtaining an inference band for the predicted curve. We examine the issue of model adequacy as it relates to fecundity–length data from two rockfish (Sebastes) species. We show that the extra complexity of our model is justified, as none of the traditional regression models are appropriate for all three of our data sets. Further, we use inference bands to distinguish fecundity–length relationships for quillback rockfish (S. maliger) from two areas, but we are unable to distinguish one of these relationships from a similar relationship for copper rockfish (S. caurinus).


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce E. Wampold

When a patient presents to a health provider, the course of the disorder is composed of three effects: natural effects, specific effects, and contextual effects. Part of the contextual effect is due to the relationship between the healer and the patient. Social healing appears to be present in eusocial species and particularly well-developed in humans. Evidence for the importance of the relationship in healing is found in placebo studies, including placebo analgesics, medicine, and psychotherapy. Although the theory for how the relationship is therapeutic is not well-developed, four possible mechanisms are discussed. The implications for health care and the treatment of pain are discussed.


Author(s):  
Verónica De Miguel Luken

El presente trabajo examina las principales aportaciones realizadas a la investigación de la inmigración extranjera aplicando el análisis de redes sociales, fundamentalmente en el contexto español. Para ello, se emplea una doble perspectiva. Por un lado, se atiende a la aproximación metodológica particular utilizada en la recogida de datos y en las técnicas estadísticas usadas para su análisis. Por otro, se ubican los trabajos en los ejes temáticos principales identificados. Previamente, se contextualiza la cuestión en el debate más general sobre redes migratorias y capital social, se presentan algunos conceptos sobre el análisis de redes y se proporcionan algunas claves sobre la recogida de datos reticulares y las técnicas más apropiadas para su explotación. Por último, se sugieren las fortalezas de esta perspectiva metodológica y las limitaciones a las que se enfrenta su utilización.In this paper, the main contributions to the research on foreign migration through the application of social network analysis are examined, especially for the Spanish context. A dual perspective is used. On one hand, the focus is on the specific methodological approach applied for the data collection and the statistical techniques chosen for the analysis. On the other hand, the works are classified according to a proposed thematic division. Previously, the topic is framed in the more general debate about migration networks and social capital, some concepts on network analysis are introduced and some key facts about network data collection and the appropriate techniques for their exploitation are discussed. Finally, the strengths and the limitations of this methodological approach are suggested.


Author(s):  
Francine Ducharme ◽  
Ellen Corin

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the coping strategies of older persons and the relationship between coping and mental health following widowhood. A subsample of a longitudinal study, composed of 32 subjects aged 65 years and over, was interviewed at home three times within a 24 month interval. These subjects had been widowed for 18 to 23 months at the third data collection period. Standardized questionnaires and ethnographic open-ended interviews were used as data collection methods. Non parametric statistics revealed no significant difference between the use of coping strategies by women before and after widowhood. The only change found for men was a significant increase in the use of formal social support from services after the loss of their partner. Content analysis of qualitative data suggests a pattern in the use of coping strategies following widowhood. Refraining, a cognitive strategy, was the only coping strategy positively associated with the mental health of spouses and widows. There was no significant difference in the strength of this relationship before and after widowhood. Refraining, a cognitive strategy, was the only coping strategy positively associated with the mental health of spouses and widows. There was no significant difference in the strength of this relationship before and after widowhood. These results suggest a stability in the repertoire of coping strategies in spite of the stressfulness of the situation of losing a lifelong partner and give credence, in part, to the notion of trait or style of coping. Results of this study also provide guidance for gerontological intervention.


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