Network Analysis in Public Health: History, Methods, and Applications Douglas A. Luke and Jenine K. Harris Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri 63104; email: dluke@slu.edu Annu. Rev. Public Health 2007. 28:69–93 The Annual Review of Public Health is online at http://publhealth.annualreviews.org This article’s doi: 10.1146/annurev.publhealth.28.021406.144132 Copyright c  2007 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved 0163-7525/07/0421-0069$20.00 First published online as a Review in Advance on January 12, 2007 Key Words social networks, disease transmission, diffusion of innovations, social support, social capital Abstract Network analysis is an approach to research that is uniquely suited to describing, exploring, and understanding structural and relational aspects of health. It is both a methodological tool and a theoretical paradigm that allows us to pose and answer important ecological questions in public health. In this review we trace the history of network analysis, provide a methodological overview of network techniques, and discuss where and how network analysis has been used in public health. We show how network analysis has its roots in mathematics, statistics, sociology, anthropology, psychology, biol- ogy, physics, and computer science. In public health, network anal- ysis has been used to study primarily disease transmission, especially for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; information transmission, particularly for diffusion of innovations; the role of social support and social capital; the influence of personal and social networks on health behavior; and the interorganizational structure of health systems. We conclude with future directions for network analysis in public health. 69 Annu. Rev. Public. Health. 2007.28:69-93. Downloaded from arjournals.annualreviews.org by St. Louis University on 07/09/07. For personal use only.