Social network theory has the potential to improve our understanding and treatment of human health issues on multiple levels, but we currently lack the basic information on how the spatial and mathematical relations of networks relate to the content and quality of relationships and how such variation influences health outcomes. We propose to determine, using a nonhuman primate, how internal (e.g., personality and temperament, genetic predispositions) and external factors (e.g., environmental and social stressors) in multiple individuals interact to affect network structure and dynamics and how these, in turn, influence health outcomes in social communities. We believe a nonhuman primate model offers several advantages to the advancement of social network theory with regard to human health because monkeys provide a cognitive and social analog for humans, data can be collected by direct observation of multiple communities (providing statistical replication), and the genetic and social history of all individuals is fully known.)We have four specific aims: (1) advance theory and methodologies assessing the network dynamics and robustness at multiple levels pertinent to the health context, (2) characterize how internal and external factors acting on individuals collectively influence network structure and robustness, (3) quantify the influence of network structure and robustness on metrics of stress as health outcomes and (4) assess the effects of experimental perturbation of network composition on network structure and robustness and health outcomes. Three main categories of data will be collected: (1) behavioral observation of affiliative and aggressive interactions, (2) assessment of individual internal factors including biobehavioral assessment of personality/ temperament and genotyping of the 5-HTTPLR and MAO-A genes, and (3) behavioral, physical and physiological measurement of health outcomes, including Rhadinovirus shedding, C-reactive protein levels, attitude, hydration, body condition, and trauma. Each of eight social groups will be observed 78 weeks across two years. Observers will record affiliate, aggressive, and submissive interactions among individuals using an event sampling design. Personality/temperament will be assessed by rating each animal on a list of 50 personality traits. Several health outcomes will be measured daily and during routine roundups. Behavioral data will be used to construct various social networks whose structure, dynamics, and robustness will be measured, and subsequently analyzed with respect to internal factors, health outcomes, and behavioral measures using multi-level generalized linear models.)

Public Health Relevance

This study will advance the current understanding of social network structure and dynamics and develop new network measures and techniques to further understand how social network theory can be successfully applied to the understanding of health outcomes, and ultimately to the improvement of human health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
4R01HD068335-05
Application #
9008064
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Freund, Lisa S
Project Start
2012-03-01
Project End
2018-01-31
Budget Start
2016-02-01
Budget End
2018-01-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Davis
Department
Veterinary Sciences
Type
Primate Centers
DUNS #
047120084
City
Davis
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
95618
Balasubramaniam, Krishna; Beisner, Brianne; Guan, Jiahui et al. (2018) Social network community structure and the contact-mediated sharing of commensal E. coli among captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). PeerJ 6:e4271
Vandeleest, J J; Capitanio, J P; Hamel, A et al. (2018) Social stability influences the association between adrenal responsiveness and hair cortisol concentrations in rhesus macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 100:164-171
McCowan, Brenda; Beisner, Brianne; Hannibal, Darcy (2018) Social management of laboratory rhesus macaques housed in large groups using a network approach: A review. Behav Processes 156:77-82
Balasubramaniam, Krishna; Beisner, Brianne; Vandeleest, Jessica et al. (2016) Social buffering and contact transmission: network connections have beneficial and detrimental effects on Shigella infection risk among captive rhesus macaques. PeerJ 4:e2630
Vandeleest, Jessica J; Beisner, Brianne A; Hannibal, Darcy L et al. (2016) Decoupling social status and status certainty effects on health in macaques: a network approach. PeerJ 4:e2394
McCowan, Brenda; Beisner, Brianne; Bliss-Moreau, Eliza et al. (2016) Connections Matter: Social Networks and Lifespan Health in Primate Translational Models. Front Psychol 7:433
Beisner, Brianne A; Jin, Jian; Fushing, Hsieh et al. (2015) Detection of social group instability among captive rhesus macaques using joint network modeling. Curr Zool 61:70-84
Fushing, Hsieh; Jordà, Òscar; Beisner, Brianne et al. (2014) Computing Systemic Risk Using Multiple Behavioral and Keystone Networks: The Emergence of a Crisis in Primate Societies and Banks. Int J Forecast 30:797-806
Shev, Aaron; Fujii, Kevin; Hsieh, Fushing et al. (2014) Systemic testing on Bradley-Terry model against nonlinear ranking hierarchy. PLoS One 9:e115367
Beisner, Brianne A; McCowan, Brenda (2014) Signaling context modulates social function of silent bared-teeth displays in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 76:111-21

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