Exploring the Impact of Social Networks for Persons with SCI

We will use the validated Personal Network Survey for Clinical Research (PERSNET) instrument that elaborates and quantifies the structure and composition of individual social networks using graph theory metrics. These metrics are distinct compared to other measures of social support in their ability to capture density and granular details of an individual unique social network. Our study will characterize the relationship of social network characteristics with health (medical complications post-injury), function (mobility and self-care), and social participation (satisfaction with social roles and activities and independence) among those with SCI and create a robust foundation on which we can begin to devise possible interventions. Network-based interventions have been shown to be efficacious in other widely prevalent diseases, such as addiction disorders and hypertension. The project would enable examination of social network structures for potentially at-risk subgroups by race/ethnicity, level of injury and completeness, gender, and socioeconomic status, and provide a detailed analysis of how the social environment interacts with demographic and injury-related factors to lead to health disparities in different sub-groups.