Table 1 Working definition of "social networks" for reviewing research on social networks and health inequalities

Social networks contain individual relationships of various types and with varying qualities, and can be characterised by:

  1) relational information on relationships and their characteristics (e.g., on ties to relatives, friends, or neighbours; or on contact frequency or emotional closeness);

  2) functional information (e.g., support, influence, conflict); and

  3) structural information (e.g., size, density, homogeneity)