title: "Hidden" social networks in behavior change interventions.
abstract: We investigated whether "hidden" (or unobserved) social networks were evident in a 2011 physical activity behavior change intervention in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Results showed evidence of unobserved social networks in the intervention and illustrated how the network evolved over short periods and affected behavior. Behavior change interventions should account for the interaction among participants (i.e., social networks) and how such interactions affect intervention outcome.
authors.affiliation: Ruth F. Hunter, Mark A. Tully, and Frank Kee are with the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration Centre of Excellence for Public Health Northern Ireland, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Helen McAneney is with the Medical Research Council All-Ireland Hub for Trials Methodology Research, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Michael Davis is with the Centre for Secure Information Technologies, Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Thomas W. Valente is with the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Ruth F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McAneney
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tully
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kee
mesh_terms: D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D009660:Northern Ireland; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support; D012963:Sociometric Techniques