Beyond Individual Interventions: Using Social Networks to Design Public Health Programmes
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Authors
Lynn Zheng
Prof Jane Barlow
Contact
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Issue Date
06-May-26
Type
Conference Abstract
Language
Keywords
Communities cohesion , Implementation/scale up , Neighbourhood health & place-based working
Alternative Title
Abstract
Background:
The influence of social relationship networks on people's uptake of health-promoting behaviours is seen in epidemiological research - and recognised in socio-ecological models of the wider determinants of health. Health behaviours cluster within networks, meanwhile diffusion of new ideas occurs unevenly depending on relational connectivity.
Local authority public health teams' work must be carried out within existing networks of social relationships, whether whilst managing outbreaks, partnering with faith or community leaders to shift norms, or conducting stakeholder analysis to mobilise system-level change. However, in practice, public health programmes are often still designed around individuals or physical — but not social — environments.
Formal methods for embedding social relationships within programme design have been tested in research studies across many public health domains. Interventions that engage individuals based on their network position can enable programmes to better reach more marginal community members – illustrating how social relationship-informed approaches open new routes for tackling enduring health inequalities.
Recent systematic reviews of social network interventions investigate effectiveness and the methodological approaches taken, but provide limited guidance on which network strategies to use to address different population needs. This review maps network intervention strategies to specific behavioural barriers and implementation contexts. It aims to help public health practitioners identify where and when integrating network-based approaches into service design may improve reach, scalability and long-term impact.
Methods:
To identify primary studies of network-based public health interventions, this review extracted studies across the breadth of issues falling within council public health teams' remit from published systematic reviews, which were located through database and citation searching. In screening primary studies, only interventions that used social network insights to inform their design or delivery, and which clearly specified a behavioural interventional target, were included.
Data extraction of information on behavioural targets, programme theory, study population characteristics, contextual implementation features and health-related outcomes and preliminary practice-relevant findings from a narrative synthesis will be presentable by the conference date.
Anticipated discussion points
- areas where social network approaches have added value compared to current practice for improving inequalities or sustainability
- how social network mapping can be applied pragmatically within council settings