Sociometric Risk Network Structure, HIV Prevalence, and Drug Injection-Related Norms among People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Athens, Greece
Bibliographic Data
Background: Structural properties of sociometric networks have been associated with behaviors related to HIV transmission. Very few studies, however, have explored the correlation between sociometric network factors and drug injection-related norms. Methods: This exploratory work: (i) describes basic structural qualities of a sociometric risk network of participants in the Transmission Reduction Intervention Project (TRIP) in Athens, Greece, in the context of a large HIV outbreak among people who inject drugs (PWID); (ii) measures HIV prevalence within specific structures within the sociometric risk network of PWID in TRIP; and (iii) explores the association of structural properties of the sociometric risk network in TRIP with drug injection-related norms. Results: The sociometric risk network in TRIP consisted of a large component (n = 241, 67.8%), a few small components (n = 36, 10.1%) with 2-10 individuals each, and some isolates (n = 79, 22.2%). HIV prevalence was significantly higher in the large component (55.6%), the 2-core (59.1%) and 3-core (66.3%) of the large component, and the 3-cliques of the cores. Drug injection-related norms were significantly associated with structural characteristics of the sociometric risk network. A safe behavioral pattern (use of unclean cooker/filter/rinse water was never encouraged) was significantly (p = 0.03) less normative among people who TRIP participants of the 2-core injected with (40.5%) than among network contacts of TRIP participants outside the 2-core (55.6%). On the contrary, at drug-using venues, 2-core members reported that safer behaviors were normative compared to what was reported by those without 2-core membership. Conclusions: Sociometric network data can give useful insights into HIV transmission dynamics and inform prevention strategies.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.1914103
Family medicine · Geography · Needle sharing · Normative · Psychiatry · Sociology · Demography · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Psychology
Social Networks and Health
Social norms and social influence
Network Interventions
Global prevalence of injecting drug use and sociodemographic characteristics and prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV in people who inject drugs
HIV and risk environment for injecting drug users
Sexual network structure and the spread of HIV in Africa
A Focus Theory of Normative Conduct
Identifying, linking, and treating people who inject drugs and were recently infected with HIV in the context of a network-based intervention
Socially-Integrated Transdisciplinary HIV Prevention
Network Structure and the Risk for HIV Transmission Among Rural Drug Users
Social Norms, Social Networks, and HIV Risk Behavior Among Injection Drug Users
Longitudinal Analysis of the Relationship Between Perceived Norms and Sharing Injection Paraphernalia
Social Network Structure and HIV Infection Among Injecting Drug Users in Lithuania
Homelessness and Other Risk Factors for HIV Infection in the Current Outbreak Among Injection Drug Users in Athens, Greece
Sociometric risk networks and risk for HIV infection
Networks, Norms and Solidaristic/Altruistic Action against Aids among the Demonized
The social structural production of HIV risk among injecting drug users
Social networks and the spread of infectious diseases
Risking risk
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |