Exploring the Multidimensionality of Trust in Participatory Health Partnerships - a Network Approach

Context: Previous studies have identified ‘trust’ as a key mechanism to achieve sustainable partnerships in participatory health research (PHR), which themselves constitute social networks. A recent review discussed the potential for social network analysis to investigate the development and maintenance of trust and their effects on partnership functioning in PHR partnerships. This review also recommended considering a comprehensive, nuanced and multidimensional approach to conceptualizing, operationalizing and measuring trust in research partnerships.

Objective: This study aims to explore empirically the conceptualizing, operationalizing and measuring of trust in a multidimensional manner; and approach each trust dimension as an individual trust network, as well as combined as an overall trust network.

Study Design and Analysis: We use a sociometric approach, recruiting from a newly established network of 57 individuals that must collaborate to achieve a common goal. A survey was designed based on findings from a scoping review and was administered via Qualtrics. The survey included 8 network questions: 1 on collaboration, and 7 that were found by Gilfoyle et al.(2022), to be important dimensions of trust. From this we construct a multilayer network from each trust dimension. We compare several core network measures for trust dimensions to identify structural differences between the dimensions of trust. To statistically validate them we compare to a random and preferential null model.

Setting: Public and Patient Involvement Ignite Network in Ireland

Population Studied: 57 individuals represented academic, service and community organizations from the Public and Patient Involvement Ignite Network in Ireland

Intervention/Instrument: Social Network Analysis Survey

Outcome measures: Individual level measures: in-degree, weighted in-degree and betweenness centrality; Network level measures: average in-degree, clustering coefficient, assortativity, Freeman centralization about the in-degree

Results: None of the networks compare well to the null models indicating participants do not randomly or preferentially (based on how much trust they receive for a particular trust dimension) trust other partners. All networks had a high reciprocity for trust dimensions but were decentralized. Key differences were identified across trust dimensions, particularly in terms of integrity and shared values.

Conclusion: Findings support exploring trust in a multidimensional way.