Social Networks, Health Support, and Dietary Intake in Mothers Receiving Home Visiting Services
Sydney Miller1,2, Sarah-Jeanne Salvy3, Nenette Caceres3
1Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA. sm4866@drexel.edu.
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
|January 22, 2025
Summary
Mothers in home visiting programs (HVPs) have social networks that can support or undermine their health. Local health supporters were linked to better diets, suggesting network-based interventions could improve nutrition for families.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Science
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Home visiting programs (HVPs) support families with young children, but their social contexts are understudied.
- Understanding social networks is crucial for improving health outcomes in families receiving HVPs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the social networks of mothers in HVPs, focusing on health support and undermining.
- To examine the relationship between social networks and dietary intake among these mothers.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 76 mothers in a Los Angeles County HVP.
- Data collected via interviews using validated measures of social networks and dietary intake.
Main Results:
- Nearly all mothers had health supporters; over half had health underminers.
- Higher income correlated with more health supporters.
- Network members were more likely to be supporters if they were romantic partners, resource-based connections, or lived nearby.
- Local health supporters were associated with increased vegetable intake and reduced sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
- Romantic partners and individuals perceived as overweight/obese were more likely to be health underminers.
Conclusions:
- Social network characteristics significantly influence health support for mothers in HVPs.
- Health support from local network members is linked to improved dietary behaviors.
- Network-based interventions leveraging health support show promise for improving nutrition in this population.
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