Addressing Asian Pacific Islander health using interagency network analysis

Background: Cross-sector collaboration strengthens a community's capacity and is recognized as the most cost-effective and sustainable approach for modifying socio-cultural factors contributing to health disparities. Networks—defined by sets of ties connecting people and/or groups—can be used to foster diffusion of health information and practices in a community. Understanding the complexities of networks of social and health services, however, requires identification of the structural linkages among such community resources. Purpose: This presentation will describe an innovative application of systems science methodology, specifically network analysis, for disseminating community-based interventions. Methods: To generate an inclusive network for this research, Chinese and non-Chinese agencies pertinent to immigrant worker health were identified. Data are being gathered through in-person agency interviews jointed by one administrator and one direct service provider. Descriptive statistics and graphs will illustrate network properties (density, cliques, multiplexity, centrality), characterizing agency structural linkages, the strengths of links, and relative position of agencies within the network. Results: Collectively, data integrated across scores of network properties will be used to describe Chinese and non-Chinese agencies' connectivity regarding exchange of information, resources, and services. Understanding patterns of connections is critical to determine each agency's potential for control and flow of health information and resources. Discussion: Community-based collaborative approaches are used to solve public health problems. Network analysis is an innovative and complementary methodology for addressing API health and health disparities by systematically distinguishing interagency networks within and across community sectors and identifying effective interagency linkages to facilitate the diffusion of interventions in community settings.