Using social network analysis to understand multisectoral governance in district-level tobacco control programme...

Area of Science:

• Public Health Policy
• Health Systems Research
• Social Network Analysis

Background:

• Multisectoral policies are crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
• Understanding the implementation and governance of these policies is essential for their effectiveness.
• Tobacco control initiatives require collaboration across various sectors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the structure and composition of a multisectoral tobacco control initiative in Karnataka, India.
• To identify key actors involved in policy implementation and their relational patterns.
• To analyze local-level networks in two districts with varying compliance with national tobacco control law.

Main Methods:

• Social network analysis (SNA) was employed to study two district tobacco control networks.
• A survey was administered to 108 respondents across two districts.
• Network measures including centrality, density, and reciprocity were used for comparison.

Main Results:

• Health departments, particularly the District Tobacco Control Cell, were central information hubs.
• Education, police, and municipal departments were frequently engaged sectors.
• District 1 exhibited a centralized network with a key nodal officer, high density, and reciprocity, while District 2 had a more dispersed structure with subdistrict managers acting as brokers.

Conclusions:

• Effective multisectoral policy relies on strong collaboration and cooperation between sectors.
• Social network analysis is a valuable tool for visualizing and understanding collaborative dynamics and identifying key stakeholders.
• SNA can aid policy planners in optimizing implementation strategies and enhancing inter-sectoral collaboration.