Association of social network characteristics with HIV knowledge, stigma, and testing: findings from a study of racial and ethnic minority women in a small Western city.

Black and Latina women are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. Despite existing research linking social networks and HIV risk among men who have sex with men (MSM) and other high-risk populations, little research has examined how ethnic/racial minority women's social networks shape HIV prevention and intervention targets. Using interviews with a sample of 165 predominantly Black and Latina-identifying women from a small city in the Western U.S., this research examines the relationship between egocentric network characteristics and HIV knowledge, attitudes, and testing history. Results reveal that network characteristics play a significant role in shaping HIV-related knowledge, prejudice, and testing intention but not HIV testing history. Individual-level factors like homelessness and perceptions of testing barriers are more salient for explaining testing behaviors than network characteristics. Intervention efforts to improve knowledge and reduce prejudice among Black and Latina women may benefit from mobilizing network ties.

Social Networks and the Emergence of Health Inequalities Following a Medical Advance: Examining Prenatal H1N1 Vaccination Decisions.

Health inequalities persist, in part, because people in socioeconomically advantageous positions possess resources to avoid new health risks when medicine advances. Although these health decisions rarely occur in isolation, we know less about the specific role of networks. We examine whether social capital mediates the relationship between individual educational attainment and decisions about a medical advance: H1N1 vaccination during pregnancy. Building on prior work that defines social capital as the resources of network members, we examine two mechanisms through which social capital may affect health decisions, facilitating information flow and exerting influence. Using egocentric network data collected from 225 pregnant women during the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic, we measure social capital as the proportion of networks that are college-educated H1N1 discussants (information flow) and the proportion of college-educated H1N1 supporters (influence). Findings reveal that college-educated women knew more college-educated H1N1 discussants and supporters. Further, both measures of social capital predicted higher probabilities of vaccination, with the latter mechanism emerging as a particularly strong predictor. Our findings provide evidence that health decisions are shaped by individual resources as well as social capital available through network ties, offering a unique perspective of the ways that social networks contribute to producing, and potentially reproducing, unequal health.

African-American Women's Tobacco and Marijuana Use: The Effects of Social Context and Substance Use Perceptions.

BACKGROUND: Despite the status of tobacco and marijuana as two of the most commonly used substances in the U.S., both have detrimental health and social consequences for disfranchized African-Americans. Substance use may be shaped by social contextual influences from families and peers in African-American communities, and little research has examined perceptions of wrongfulness, harms, and dangers associated with daily tobacco and marijuana use among African-American women. OBJECTIVES: This study explores the effects of African-American women's social context and substance use perceptions (wrongfulness/harmfulness/dangerousness) on daily tobacco and marijuana use. METHODS: Survey data was collected in-person from 521 African-American women. Multivariate logistic models identified the significant correlates of women's daily use of tobacco and marijuana in the past six months. RESULTS: 52.59% of participants reported daily tobacco use and 10.56% used marijuana daily. Multivariate models indicated that women were more likely to be daily tobacco users if they had a family member with a substance use problem or perceived tobacco use to be wrong, harmful, or more dangerous than marijuana. In the models with marijuana as the dependent variable, women who lived with a person who used drugs were more likely to use marijuana daily. Perceiving marijuana use as wrong or harmful to one's health was protective against daily marijuana use. CONCLUSIONS: Findings stress the need for prevention and intervention efforts for African-American women that highlight social context influences and promote greater awareness of the health risks associated with daily tobacco and marijuana use.

African American women and sexually transmitted infections: The contextual influence of unbalanced sex ratios and individual risk behaviors.

This study uses data from 564 African American women to examine the correlates of lifetime prevalence of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Specifically, we test the effects of perceptions about the availability of African American males, five partner characteristics, and drug history. At the bivariate-level, women with an STI diagnosis were significantly more likely to have dated a man who was married, older, had sex with another man, involved in concurrent partnerships, and had been incarcerated. About half of the participants stated it was difficult to find an eligible African American male and attributed the limited pool of same-race partners to drug trafficking, a lack of monogamy, and high rates of incarceration. Multivariate analyses revealed having dated a man who had concurrent sexual partnerships or had been incarcerated, as well as drug use during sex were positively associated with ever having an STI. Individual and contextual implications are addressed.

African American women's preventative care usage: the role of social support and racial experiences and attitudes.

Research suggests that African Americans are less likely to utilise preventative care services than Americans of European descent, and that these patterns may contribute to racial health disparities in the United States. Despite the persistence of inequalities in preventative care utilisation, culturally relevant factors influencing the use of these gateway health services have been understudied among marginalised groups. Using a stratified sample of 205 low-income African American women, this research examines the predictors of receiving a physical exam, with a particular emphasis on how differing levels of social support from friend and family networks and experiences of racial discrimination and cultural mistrust shape utilisation. The findings underscore the importance of traditional predictors of utilisation, including insurance status and having a usual physician. However, they also indicate that supportive ties to friendship networks are associated with higher predicted rates of having an annual physical exam, while social support from family and sentiments of cultural mistrust are associated with lower rates of utilisation. Broadly, the findings indicate that even as traditional predictors of help-seeking become less relevant, it will be critical to explore how variations in discrimination experiences and social relationships across marginalised groups drive patterns of preventative care utilisation.

Barriers to substance abuse treatment in rural and urban communities: counselor perspectives.

The purpose of this study is to compare rural and urban substance abuse counselors' perceptions of barriers to providing effective treatment services. Data were collected from 28 substance abuse counselors in Kentucky during four focus group sessions in 2008. Line-by-line coding and memoing were used by two raters on the transcribed data to isolate findings. The results of this study suggest that, though rural and urban counselors encounter similar constraints that hamper successful treatment outcomes, rural counselors are subject to special circumstances within their communities that present unique challenges to treatment efficacy. Novel contributions, implications, and limitations are also discussed.

Examining the associations of racism, sexism, and stressful life events on psychological distress among African-American women.

African-American women may be susceptible to stressful events and adverse health outcomes as a result of their distinct social location at the intersection of gender and race. Here, racism and sexism are examined concurrently using survey data from 204 African-American women residing in a southeastern U.S. urban city. Associations among racism, sexism, and stressful events across social roles and contexts (i.e., social network loss, motherhood and childbirth, employment and finances, personal illness and injury, and victimization) are investigated. Then, the relationships among these stressors on psychological distress are compared, and a moderation model is explored. Findings suggest that racism and sexism are a significant source of stress in the lives of African-American women and are correlated with one another and with other stressful events. Implications for future research and clinical considerations are discussed.

Causes, consequences, and prevention of burnout among substance abuse treatment counselors: a rural versus urban comparison.

Substance abuse counselors are vulnerable to burnout, which has negative repercussions for the counselor, employing organization, and clients. However, little is known about differences in counselor burnout from the counselors' perspective in rural versus urban treatment centers. In 2008, focus group data from 28 rural and urban counselors in a southern state were analyzed, revealing three burnout themes across all counselors: causes, consequences, and prevention. However, there were various differences between rural and urban counselors in subthemes, with only rural counselors citing office politics and low occupational prestige as causes of burnout. Only urban counselors reported responses endorsing the subthemes of role reversal, clients trying to choose their counselors, and changing jobs as consequences of burnout. All counselors cited coworker support, clinical supervision, and self-care as important strategies for managing burnout. In sum, context clearly matters as rural counselors cited more causes of burnout; yet, the implications of burnout are universal in that they often lead to poor quality clinical care. There is a continued need for greater understanding of addiction as a disease, which would reduce stigma, especially in rural areas, as well as increase the prestige and earning potential of the substance abuse counseling occupation.

Racial disparities in the workplace: The impact of isolation on perceived organizational support and job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research indicates Black employees may be particularly vulnerable to job dissatisfaction and that social support at work is a potential resource that could influence employee outcomes. This study examined racial differences in workplace social networks and support, and how these factors may contribute to perceived organizational support and, ultimately, job satisfaction among mental health workers. METHOD: Using data from an all-employee survey in a community mental health center (N = 128), we assessed racial differences in social network supports, hypothesizing that Black employees would report smaller and less supportive social networks, and lower levels of organizational support and job satisfaction compared to White employees. We also hypothesized that workplace network size and support would be positively associated with perceived organizational support and job satisfaction. RESULTS: Hypotheses were partially supported. Compared to Whites, Blacks had smaller workplace networks that were less likely to include supervisors, were more likely to report workplace isolation (naming no workplace social ties), and were less likely to seek advice from their social ties at work. Regression analyses showed that Blacks and employees with smaller networks were more likely to perceive lower levels of organizational support, even after controlling for background variables. However, race and network size did not predict overall job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: These findings suggest that Black mental health services staff are less likely to have rich, diverse workplace networks than their White colleagues, which may put them at a disadvantage in terms of accessing support and other resources. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Too Much of a Good Thing? Psychosocial Resources, Gendered Racism, and Suicidal Ideation Among Low-SES African American Women.

Very few studies have examined predictors of suicidal ideation among African American women. Consequently, we have a poor understanding of the combinations of culturally-specific experiences and psychosocial processes that may constitute risk and protective factors for suicide in this population. Drawing on theories of social inequality, medical sociology, and the stress process, we explore the adverse impact of gendered racism experiences and potential moderating factors in a sample of 204 predominantly low-SES African American women. We find that African American women's risk for suicidal ideation is linked to stressors occurring as a function of their distinct social location at the intersection of gender and race. In addition, we find that gendered racism has no effect on suicidal ideation among women with moderate levels of well-being, self-esteem, and active coping, but has a strong adverse influence in those with high and low levels of psychosocial resources.

The rural identity scale: Development and validation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to conduct a psychometric evaluation of a new 35-item survey developed in the United States to measure rural identity. METHODS: Factor structure, reliability, convergent validity, and incremental validity of the Rural Identity Scale (RIS) were examined using two datasets. Study 1 examined RIS psychometric properties using survey data collected from substance use treatment counselors in a southeastern state (n = 145), while Study 2 used data collected from women incarcerated in rural jails (n = 400). FINDINGS: A one-factor structure containing 15 items was identified in the RIS, with acceptable internal reliability (α = .72-.83). In Study 1, participants from rural counties had significantly higher RIS scores than their urban counterparts. In both studies, convergent validity was evaluated and the RIS scores were significantly associated with other measures relevant to identity and rurality at the bivariate level. Incremental validity was supported in multivariable models as the RIS scores were significantly and uniquely associated with primary rural place variables in each sample. CONCLUSIONS: This study is an initial step toward a reliable, valid scale measuring rural identity. RIS may be especially beneficial to health research as a methodological tool that can contextualize health behaviors among rural populations and highlight potential interventions to promote health equity.

Labeling, causal attributions, and social network ties to people with mental illness.

Evidence supports Allport's (1954) contention that social contact reduces mental illness stigma and promotes symptom recognition. However, an important limitation of existing research is that it typically relies on relatively simplistic measures of contact (e.g., any contact, number of contacts). Here, we build on prior work by examining how contact with persons with mental illness within social networks shapes labeling processes and beliefs about the causes of mental illness. Using egocentric network methods and vignette data from the 2018 General Social Survey (N = 1173), findings reveal that connections to valued ties (e.g., friends, family) that disconfirm commonly held stereotypes about people with mental illness contribute to improved recognition of mental illness and reduce the likelihood of endorsing stigmatizing beliefs about causes of mental illness. By using network theory and methods, this research extends current understanding of the role of contact by revealing not only whether contact matters, but how it matters and under what circumstances it may reduce prejudice and discrimination attached to mental illness in contemporary society.

Public Stigma and Personal Networks: Confronting the Limitations of Unidimensional Measures of Social Contact.

One of the most promising directions for reducing mental illness stigma lies in Allport's contact theory, which suggests that intergroup interactions reduce stigma. Here, we argue that stigmatizing attitudes are driven by the nature, magnitude, and valence of community-based ties to people with mental illness (PMI), not simply their presence. Using the 2018 General Social Survey (N = 1,113), we compare network-based measures of contact to traditional survey indicators. We find that knowing someone with mental illness, or even number of people known, explains little about desire for social distance, perceptions of dangerousness, or endorsement of treatment coercion. However, having stronger relationships with more PMI, having more friends and family (but not more peripheral ties) with mental illness, and knowing people in treatment are associated with less stigma endorsement. In contrast, we find that exposure to PMI who are perceived as dangerous is associated with greater levels of stigma.

TALKING ABOUT TEETH: EGOCENTRIC NETWORKS AND ORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN A MEXICAN AMERICAN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY.

Latinos in the United States have poor outcomes for periodontal and dental health. However, a detailed description of the mechanisms driving these patterns has only recently started to be addressed in the literature. In the current study, we explore relationships between individual-level characteristics of Mexican immigrants, properties of their networks, and experiences of dental problems. Specifically, using data from an urban community of Mexican immigrants to the American Midwest (n = 332), this study examines how characteristics of oral health matters (OHM) discussion networks and individual-level sociodemographic characteristics are associated with four adverse oral health outcomes. The results provide strong support for relationships between immigrants' network characteristics and dental problems. We find that people with more dental problems talk about these issues more frequently with network ties. Conversely, stronger relationships with OHM discussion networks, as measured by mean closeness, are predictive of fewer dental problems. In addition, we identify a link between perceptions of alters' knowledge about teeth, mouth, and gums and egos reporting better oral health outcomes. The observed patterns are suggestive of mechanisms of social influence that are well replicated in the social, medical, and public health literatures, but that have seldom been empirically tested in the domain of oral health. Though preliminary, our findings suggest a potential explanatory role for social networks in some of the most important questions and problems in oral health disparities research. In all, our findings suggest that social network members are active participants in the management and response to oral health problems in this immigrant group and should be considered an important factor in the development and course of diseases.

"Does this Look Infected to You?" Social Network Predictors of Dental Help-Seeking Among Mexican Immigrants.

Compared to U.S. born Latinos, Mexican immigrants (MAs) have diminished health care access and face substantial barriers to accessing needed dental health services. However, little research has examined how MAs social networks shape their use of dental health services. Using data from 332 Mexican immigrants to the Midwest, this research examines the significance of individual and egocentric network characteristics on two measures of dental health service utilization. Findings reveal that network size, network dental service utilization, and the frequency with which MAs discuss acute problems with network ties, positively correspond to use of oral health services. Conversely, embeddedness in networks where ties hassle egos about dental issues and have low levels of dental health knowledge correspond to lower odds of using these services. This research is among the first to use ego network data and methods to examine the ways network characteristics shape oral health behaviors among this underserved population.

Disadvantaged Status and Health Matters Networks among Low-Income African American Women.

A significant gap in current network research relates to understanding the factors that shape the health matters (HM) networks of marginalized, socially disadvantaged populations. This is noteworthy, given that these networks represent a critical resource for mitigating the adverse health effects of both acute and chronic strains associated with marginalized status. Further, research has suggested that the networks of such populations-especially low-income African American women-are unique, and may operate in substantively different ways than those of other groups. Using two waves of data from a sample of low-income African American women, this research identifies the demographic, health status, and health behavior measures at time one that correspond to HM network characteristics at time two, six months later. This study offers preliminary insights on the relationship between key sociodemographic and health status characteristics of low-income African American women and their HM networks, including criminal justice involvement. Findings reveal that though poorer health status and criminal justice involvement correspond to smaller health matters networks, they also correspond to more active and supportive networks.

African American Female Offender's Use of Alternative and Traditional Health Services After Re-Entry: Examining the Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations.

This is the first known study to use the Gelberg-Andersen Behavioral Model for Vulnerable Populations to predict African American women's use of three types of health services (alternative, hospitalization, and ambulatory) in the 18 months after release from prison. In the multivariate models, the most robust predictors of all three types of service utilization were in the vulnerable theoretical domains. Alternative health services were predicted by ethnic community membership, higher religiosity, and HIV/HCV. Hospitalizations were predicted by the lack of barriers to health care and disability. Ambulatory office visits were predicted by more experiences of gendered racism, a greater number of physical health problems, and HIV/HCV. Findings highlight the importance of cultural factors and HIV/HCV in obtaining both alternative and formal health care during community re-entry. Clinicians and policymakers should consider the salient role that the vulnerable domain plays in offender's accessing health services.

The Influence of Rural and Urban Substance Abuse Treatment Counselor Characteristics on Client Outcomes.

Focus group data was collected from 28 substance abuse treatment counselors employed in rural and urban areas to examine their perceptions of factors influencing treatment outcomes. The influence of the counselor characteristics (i.e., education, experience, and recovery status) on client outcomes and geographic differences are explored. Focus group data was analyzed by three raters using line-by-line coding, focused coding, and memoing. This analytic approach revealed geographic differences in the counselors' perceptions of the effect of counselor education, experience, and recovery status on client outcomes. Recommendations for treatment planning and future research are provided.