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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Susan Koch-Weser, ScD, Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard University, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, 617-582-8365, susan_koch-weser@dfci.harvard.edu, K. Vish Viswanath, PhD, Department of of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, 7th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, Audie A. Atienza, PhD, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Health Promotion Research Branch, National Cancer Institute, 6130 Executive Blvd., Room 4074/MSC 7335, Bethesda, MD 20892, and Kathleen Bond, MPH, Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St, Smith 275, Boston, MA 02115.

The role of social networks in health communications and information dissemination is understudied. Social networks refer to the connections individuals have with other individuals and/or organizations. Social networks may facilitate the diffusion of new information, aid in the interpretation of complex information, assist in the comprehension of information from the media and providers, increase the confidence information-seeking and potentially temper the effects of SES on health information seeking. We used the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a survey of 6440 American adults conducted by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to examine the relationships between social networks and health communication. The analysis for this paper was restricted to people without a history of cancer (n=4492). Social Networks were assessed by measuring respondents' membership in organizations. Among respondents without a cancer history, we found that membership in one or more organization was associated with greater knowledge of colon cancer tests (OR=1.21, 95% CI 1.12-1.30). If at least one of the organizations provided health information, the probability of naming a colon cancer test increased (OR=1.32, 95% CI 1.12-1.55). These effects remained even after accounting for the influences of education and income. Furthermore, membership in organizations was associated with higher confidence in respondents' ability to find information about cancer even after accounting for the influence of income and education. If the organizations provided health information, the effect was stronger. Results suggest that further research on how and why social networks relate to health communication and behavior is warranted.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Describe the contribution of organizational membership to cancer knowledge and confidence in ones’ ability to find information about cancer.
• Identify potential research projects related to how and why social networks could influence health communications.

Keywords: Communication, Cancer Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered