# Pragmatics to Reveal Intention in Social Media (PRISM) for Health Promotion

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2020 · $342,713

## Abstract

Abstract:
The effects of social relationships on management of health behaviors and adoption of positive wellness
regimens has been well documented. In the era of digital and participatory health communication, the role of
social ties in health promotion has become more complex. Online communities, which digitize peer-to-peer
communication, provide a unique opportunity to researchers to understand collective social mechanisms as well
as individual factors underlying human behavior change. Most studies of online and offline social networks have
not considered the dynamics among communication intent and content with social influence. In the proposed
research, we will develop a multi-dimensional methodological framework for social intercourse analysis to
leverage the rich and voluminous data provided by online communities. Our framework aims to incorporate and
integrate communication intent, semantics and structure of online communication to study sociobehavioral
factors of health behaviors and chronic disease management, While our methods will be generally applicable,
we will develop them in the context of health-related communication between members of online communities,
particularly focusing on smoking cessation and diabetes management. This research proposal will result in- 1)
new theoretical frameworks that describe the communication domain in a online social setting for behavior
change, 2) scalable techniques to model expressions, semantics, and social dependencies associated self-
reported health outcomes, and 3) new proposals for the development of data-driven sociobehavioral
interventions to support individuals engaging in positive health behavior changes and chronic disease
management.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9979950
- **Project number:** 5R01LM012974-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** SAHITI MYNENI
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $342,713
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-17 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9979950

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9979950, Pragmatics to Reveal Intention in Social Media (PRISM) for Health Promotion (5R01LM012974-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9979950. Licensed CC0.

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