ABSTRACT
High rates of childhood obesity have been attributed to a complex system of individual, social, and environmental factors, as reviewed in other chapters. The vital role of social networks in the propagation of obesity in children and adults has been highlighted in recent studies, and is emerging as an important component of this social-ecological system to understand and intervene on. Some of this research suggests that obesity spreads within social networks as a result of interpersonal “contagion” [1-3]. However, the social contagion hypothesis is just one potential mechanism driving associations between social networks and childhood obesity. Advances in social network analysis (SNA) and applied social network research are helping to refine our understanding of the broader set of social factors and processes at play in the development and maintenance of childhood obesity. This chapter briefly introduces the key concepts in SNA, before summarizing research findings that identify mechanisms linking social networks to childhood obesity, and then discussing directions for future research and implications for childhood obesity interventions. Network interventions, which typically alter or leverage social network structures (e.g., by targeting influential individuals or naturally occurring social groups), show great promise to more effectively promote and sustain diverse health behaviors [4-6]. Interventions that leverage social networks to prevent and treat childhood obesity are in their infancy, but are likely to be bolstered by considerable interest in this approach [7-9].
