How couples' social networks relate to alcohol-related partner aggression in low-income communities

Duocentric Social Networks and Alcohol-Related Intimate Partner Aggression among Couples from Low-Income Communities

NIH-funded research Arizona State University-Tempe Campus · NIH-11170509

This project looks at whether couples' in-person and online social connections change the link between drinking and partner aggression for couples from low-income communities.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionArizona State University-Tempe Campus NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Scottsdale, United States)
Project IDNIH-11170509 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You and your partner would each answer questions about your drinking, any experiences of aggression, and the people you interact with both face-to-face and online. The research team will map each partner's social network and the ways those networks overlap or stay separate. By enrolling 200 couples from low-income communities, researchers will test whether social isolation or perceived social norms in different network types relate to alcohol-related aggression. The goal is to spot social patterns that might help protect couples or increase risk.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adult couples living in low-income communities who can both consent and answer questions about drinking, relationships, and their social contacts are ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People who are not in a partnered relationship, who live outside the study area, or who need immediate safety interventions for severe ongoing partner violence are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Results could highlight social-support or community-level approaches that help prevent alcohol-related partner aggression.

How similar studies have performed: Prior research has clearly linked alcohol to partner aggression and shown social context matters, but using dyadic social-network mapping to predict alcohol-related IPA is a relatively new approach.

Where this research is happening

Scottsdale, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.