Social network structure and composition in former NFL football players
Dhand, Amar (Northeastern University. Network Science Institute)
McCafferty, Liam (Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, Estats Units d'Amèrica))
Grashow, Rachel (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Department of Environmental Health)
Corbin, Ian M. (Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, Estats Units d'Amèrica))
Cohan, Sarah (Football Players Health Study at Harvard University)
Whittington, Alicia J. (Football Players Health Study at Harvard University)
Connor, Ann (Beth Israel Deaconess Cancer Center (Boston, Estats Units d'Amèrica))
Baggish, Aaron (Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston))
Weisskopf, Mark (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Department of Environmental Health)
Zafonte, Ross (Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, Estats Units d'Amèrica))
Pascual Leone, Álvaro (Institut Germans Trias i Pujol. Institut Guttmann)
Barabási, Albert-László (Northeastern University. Department of Physics)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Social networks have broad effects on health and quality of life. Biopsychosocial factors may also modify the effects of brain trauma on clinical and pathological outcomes. However, social network characterization is missing in studies of contact sports athletes. Here, we characterized the personal social networks of former National Football League players compared to non-football US males. In 303 former football players and 269 US males, we found that network structure (e. g. , network size) did not differ, but network composition (e. g. , proportion of family versus friends) did differ. Football players had more men than women, and more friends than family in their networks compared to US males. Black players had more racially diverse networks than White players and US males. These results are unexpected because brain trauma and chronic illnesses typically cause diminished social relationships. We anticipate our study will inform more multi-dimensional study of, and treatment options for, contact sports athletes. For example, the strong allegiances of former athletes may be harnessed in the form of social network interventions after brain trauma. Because preserving health of contact sports athletes is a major goal, the study of social networks is critical to the design of future research and treatment trials.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Brain injuries ; Neurodegeneration ; Outcomes research ; Risk factors
Published in:	Scientific reports, Vol. 11 (february 2021) , ISSN 2045-2322

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80091-w
PMID: 33526803

9 p, 3.7 MB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut d'Investigació en Ciencies de la Salut Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles