“Homophily and assimilation among sportactive adolescent substance users.”
By Mike Pearson, Christian Steglich, and Tom Snijders, 2006.
Connections 27(1), 47-63.

We analyse the co-evolution of social networks and substance use behaviour of adolescents and address the problem of separating the effects of homophily and assimilation. Adolescents who prefer friends with the same substance-use behaviour exhibit the homophily principle. Adolescents who adapt their substance use behaviour to match that of their friends display the assimilation principle. We use the Siena software to illustrate the co-evolution of friendship networks, smoking, cannabis use and drinking among sport-active teenagers. Results indicate strong network selection effects occurring with a preference for same sex reciprocated relationships in closed networks. Assimilation occurs among cannabis and alcohol but not tobacco users. Homophily prevails among tobacco and alcohol users. Cannabis use influences smoking behavior positively (i.e., increasing cannabis increases smoking). Weaker effects include drinkers smoking more and cannabis users drinking more. Homophily and assimilation are not significant mechanisms with regard to sporting activity for any substance. There is, however, a significant reduction of sporting activity among smokers. Also, girls engaged in less sport than boys. Some recommendations for health promotion programmes are made.

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