title: A social network approach to demonstrate the diffusion and change process of intervention from peer health advocates to the drug using community.
abstract: Project RAP (Risk Avoidance Partnership) trained 112 active drug users to become peer health advocates (PHAs). Six months after baseline survey (N(bl) = 522), 91.6% of PHAs and 56.6% of community drug users adopted the RAP innovation of giving peer intervention, and 59.5% of all participants (N(6m) = 367) were exposed to RAP innovation. Sociometric network analysis shows that adoption of and exposure to RAP innovation was associated with proximity to a PHA or a highly active interventionist (HAI), being directly linked to multiple PHAs/HAIs, and being located in a network sector where multiple PHAs/HAIs were clustered. RAP innovation has diffused into the Hartford drug-using community.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Community Research, Hartford, Connecticut 06106, USA. Jianghong.li@icrweb.org
authors.forename: Jianghong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Margaret R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Weeks
authors.forename: Stephen P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Borgatti
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Clair
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dickson-Gomez
mesh_terms: D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D055030:Drug Users; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010379:Peer Group; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control