Effects of a Physical Activity Program Potentiated with ICTs on the Formation and Dissolution of Friendship Networks of Children in a Middle-Income Country

Abstract

This paper assesses the potential cohesion effect of a physical activity (PA) school-based intervention potentiated using text messages (SMS) through analyzing longitudinally the friendship network structure and the mechanisms of the formation and dissolution of friendships. Three schools (n = 125 participants) in Bogotá, Colombia, were randomly assigned into three groups: Modulo Activo Recreo Activo (MARA) + SMS (networks 1 and 2), MARA (networks 3 and 4), and control (no intervention: networks 5–7). We collected socio-economic, health-related, network structure, and intervention satisfaction variables in the baseline and after 10 weeks on July–November 2013. For each classroom network, we conducted four models using a temporal and static network approach to assess (1) temporal social network changes, (2) friendship homophily, (3) friendship formation and dissolution mechanisms, and (4) effect of SMS on the networks’ cohesion. We found that (1) social cohesion emerged in the four intervened networks that were measured over time with transitivity and homophily driven by clustering, (2) the intervention affected the mechanisms of friendship formation and dissolution, and (3) MARA + SMS on average created more social cohesion and 3.8 more friendships than the program alone. Potentially, school-based interventions with information and communication technologies (ICT) such as MARA + SMS could encourage social cohesion among children. The particular characteristics of each school network need to be considered when developing school-based interventions.

Built environment in programs to promote physical activity among Latino children and youth living in the United States and in Latin America

“…In Colombia, SNA was used to assess the potential effect of social cohesion of a PA school‐based intervention during recess implemented on school facilities 69 . The program potentiated with text messages to encourage children to participate in school‐based recreational programs had a higher positive impact on the creation of friendships and social cohesion than the program alone, suggesting that school‐based interventions combined with information and communication technologies might encourage social cohesion among children to modify health‐related behaviors 69 …”

“…68 In Colombia, SNA was used to assess the potential effect of social cohesion of a PA school-based intervention during recess implemented on school facilities. 69 The program potentiated with text The Our Voice model is a community-engaged citizen science approach that, through the use of a technology-driven participatory process, allows "real-time" evaluation of local built and social environmental factors influencing PA among youth and their families. 70,71 The citizen science approach can be defined generally as engaging members of the public in research processes, such as data collection, analysis, and dissemination, to contribute to scientific advancements.…”

“…The findings indicate that implementing different types of interventions may depend on whether the goal is to shift the entire distribution of PA or to influence those most adversely affected by inactivity 68. In Colombia, SNA was used to assess the potential effect of social cohesion of a PA school-based intervention during recess implemented on school facilities 69. The program potentiated with text F I G U R E 1 Methodological approaches to evaluate intervention targets of built environment interventions promoting physical activity among youth.…”

El entorno construido en los programas diseñados para promover la actividad física entre las niñas, niños y jóvenes latinos que viven en Estados Unidos y América Latina

“…En Colombia se utilizó el análisis de redes sociales para valorar los efectos sobre la cohesión social de una intervención diseñada para promover la AF en las instalaciones escolares durante los recreos 69 .…”

“…a los niños a participar en los programas recreativos de la escuela, su impacto sobre la creación de lazos de amistad y cohesión social fue mayor que antes, lo cual sugiere que combinar las intervenciones en la escuela con las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación podría aumentar la cohesión social entre los niños para modificar los comportamientos relacionados con la salud 69 .…”