LAB OF BIG DATA IN SOCIAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
Hosted by Dr. Te-Tien Ting, Assistant Professor at SCU
(02) 2881-9471 ext 6501
MY ACADEMIC STORY
ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT
Aug. 2017.-present Assistant professor at School of Big Data Management, Soochow University
Mar. 2017- Jul. 2017 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Sep. 2014-Dec. 2016 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Aug. 2015.-Nov. 2015 Visiting Research Scholar at Center of Family Research in University of Georgia
EDUCATION
Ph.D., National Taiwan University, Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine
M.P.H, Columbia University, Department of Sociomedical Sciences (Research Track)
B.S., National Taiwan University, College of Public Health
B.S., National Taiwan University, School of Nursing at College of Medicine (Double Degree)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Health inequality
Solving the problem of social inequality in health: Fighting with inequality via social network intervention (July 2015-present)
An experimental design for exploring the function and benefit of social network on the spread of health behavior: the differential model between infectious and chronic disease (Jan. 2017-present, as the Co-Principle Investigator)
AREAS OF INTEREST
Social capital
Social network analysis
Psychiatric epidemiology
Substance use
Adolescent health
Geriatric medicine
KEY PUBLICATIONS
References and Links to Papers
PEER INFLUENCES ON ALCOHOL EXPECTANCIES IN EARLY ADOLESCENCE: A STUDY OF CONCURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE PREDICTORS IN TAIWAN
Addict. Behav., 40: 7-15. [SCI, SSCI]
The effects of peers on three domains of alcohol expectancies through early adolescence were prospectively examined over 2 years. Information on pubertal development, parental drinking, peer characteristics, network structure, alcohol expectancies, and alcohol consumption was assessed in a three-wave longitudinal study of 779 6th graders (~12 years of age) randomly selected from northern Taiwan. Complex survey regression analyses, stratified by drinking experience in 6th grade, were performed to identify predictors of two positive (i.e., enhanced social behaviors and relaxation/tension reduction) and one negative alcohol expectancies (i.e., cognitive/behavioral deterioration) in 7th grade. The results showed that the effects of peer influence on adolescents' alcohol expectancies varied by prior drinking experiences and by expectancy domains. For the alcohol naive, recent exposure to peer drinking was significantly associated with positive and negative alcohol expectancies in grade 7, and this association was moderated by advanced pubertal development (ESBlate puberty: ßwt= 0.55;ESBearly puberty: ßwt=−0.40; PRTRlate puberty: ßwt= 0.01; PRTRearly puberty: ßwt= 1.22; CBD late puberty: ßwt = −0.84; CBDearly puberty: ßwt = 0.56). For the alcohol experienced, neither peer drinking nor pubertal development showed any significant links with alcohol expectancies. Occupying a bridge position was slightly linked with negative expectancy (ßwt= 0.25). Concurrent drinking serves as a strong predictor for the endorsed alcohol expectancy in both groups, particularly for the domain of enhanced social behaviors. If these effects are confirmed, knowledge of the effect of interplay between peer factors and pubertal development on alcohol expectancies in early adolescence can provide effective targets in prevention programs.
EFFECTS OF GENETIC VARIANTS OF ADH1B AND ALDH2 AND SOCIAL NETWORK ON CONTINUED ALCOHOL DRINKING AMONG YOUNG ADOLESCENTS IN TAIWAN
Drug and Alcohol Depend., 147: 38-45 [SCI, SSCI]
Background: This study aimed (i) to evaluate the effects of genetic variants of ADH1B and ALDH2 and social network position on continued alcohol use in early adolescence, and (ii) to explore possible moderating role of pubertal development on genetic effects.
Methods: The sample comprised 496 children who ever drank alcohol before the ages of 10–12. Information pertaining to sociodemographic background, pubertal development, parental drinking, alcohol and tobacco use, alcohol-metabolizing genes, and nominated best friends was collected in four waves of assessment. Polymorphisms of ADH1B (rs1229984) and ALDH2 (rs671) were genotyped. The latent class analysis was first used to characterize longitudinal alcohol use pattern, followed by the multinomial logistic regression analyses to assess its association with genes, pubertal development, and social network.
Results: Three distinct classes of alcohol users (i.e. ex-drinkers, sporadic drinkers, and continued drinkers) were derived from alcohol-experienced children. Both alcohol-metabolizing genes appear to have protective effects, yet such relationships were only significant for youngsters in pre-to-early pubertal stage: the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of ADH1B fast-genotype for sporadic drinkers was 0.46 and that of ALDH2 slow-genotype for both sporadic and continued drinkers was 0.47 and 0.42, respectively. Children having the bridge position in their peer network were more likely to be sporadic drinkers (aOR = 4.15) and continued drinkers (aOR = 3.16).
Conclusions: Our results illustrate a potential moderating effect of pubertal development on the protective influence of alcohol-metabolizing genes on subsequent alcohol use among alcohol-experienced children as well as the independent contribution of early life’s social network to their alcohol involvement.
USING SOCIAL NETWORK AS A RECRUITING APPROACH FOR RESEARCH ON SUBSTANCE USE IN TAIPEI METROPOLIS: STUDY DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL ESTIMATES
J Epidemiol.: DOI 10.2188/jea.JE20140229. [SCI]
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the practical utility of respondent-driven sampling (RDS) among regular tobacco and alcohol users in Taipei, Taiwan.
Methods: RDS was implemented from 2007 to 2010 to recruit seed individuals who were 18 to 50 years old, regular tobacco and alcohol users, and currently residing in Taipei. Each respondent was asked to refer up to five friends known to be regular tobacco smokers and alcohol drinkers to participate in the present study. Information pertaining to drug use was collected using an audio computer-assisted self-interview instrument. RDSAT software was used for data analyses.
Results: The prevalence estimates of illegal-drug-using behaviors attained equilibrium after three to five recruitment waves. Nearly one-fifth of the participants had ever used illegal drugs, of whom over 60% were polydrug users. The RDS-adjusted prevalences of illegal-drug-using behaviors among early-onset smokers were all two or three times higher than those among late-onset smokers.
Conclusions: Our results provided an empirical basis for the practicality and feasibility of using RDS to estimate illegal drug use prevalence among regular tobacco and alcohol users.
PEERS AND SOCIAL NETWORK ON ALCOHOL DRINKING THROUGH EARLY ADOLESCENCE IN TAIWAN
Drug and Alcohol Depend., 153, 50-58. [SCI, SSCI]
Objectives: This study aims to identify peers and social network characteristics associated with drinkingoccasions through early adolescence.
Methods: The study sample of 1808 middle school students (aged 13–15 years) in northern Taiwanwas collected via a two-wave longitudinal study of the Alcohol-Related Experiences among Children(AREC). Data concerning individual sociodemographics, family characteristics, peer influence, and alco-hol drinking behaviors were collected via web-based self-administered questionnaire. Building upon themaximum of five friends nominated by young respondents at 7th grade, class-based social network wasfirst constructed via the UCINET and Pajek; the network position (i.e., member, bridge, and isolate) foreach student was subsequently ascertained. Complex surveys analyses and negative binominal regressionmodels were used to evaluate concurrent and prospective relationship estimates.
Results: Effects of peers and social network were found to operate differentially by childhood alcohol expe-rience. For the alcohol naïve youngsters, receiving higher peer’s nomination at baseline was linked withsubsequent increased drinking occasions (adjusted Incidence Rate Ratio [aIRR] = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.01–1.10),whereas having peers against alcohol drinking may reduce drinking occasions at 9th grade (aIRR = 0.59;95% CI = 0.41–0.87). For the alcohol experienced youngsters, having parental alcohol offer, drinking peers,and attending classes of higher drinking norms may increase future drinking occasions by 90%, 80% and44%, respectively.
Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that parental alcohol offer, peer norms, and social network mayaffect adolescent drinking occasions differentially depending on childhood drinking experience. Thefindings have implications for the interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in underage population.
CONTACT ME
OTHER JOURNAL AND CONFERENCE PAPERS
JOURNAL PAPERS
Chen WJ, Fu TC, Ting TT, Huang WL, Tang GM, Hsiao CK, Chen CY (2009): Use of ecstasy and other psychoactive substances among school-attending adolescents in Taiwan: National surveys 2004-2006. BMC Public Health 9: 27. [SCI]
Wu CS, Ting TT, Wang SC, Chang IS, Lin KM (2011): Effect of benzodiazepine discontinuation on dementia risk. Am. J. of Geriatr. Psychiatry 19:151-159. [SCI, SSCI]
Chen WJ, Ting TT, Chang CM, Liu YC, Chen CY (2013): Ketamine use among regular tobacco and alcohol users as revealed by respondent-driven sampling in Taipei: Prevalence, expectancy, and users' risky decision making. J. Food Drug Anal. 21(4S): S102-S105. [SCI]
Su TH, Liu CH, Liu CJ, Chen CL, Ting TT, Tseng TC, Chen PJ, Kao JH, Chen DS (2013): Serum microRNA-122 level correlates with virologic response to pegylated interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C. Proc Nati Acad Sci USA. 110: 7844-7849 [SCI]
Chan CH, Ting TT, Chen YT, Chen CY, Chen WJ (2014): Sexual initiation and emotional/behavioral problems in adolescence: a multivariate response profile analysis in Taiwan. Arch. Sex. Behav., 1-11. [SCI, SSCI]
Chen YY, Chiu YC, Ting TT, Liao HY, Chen WJ, Chen CY (2016). Television viewing and alcohol advertising with alcohol expectancies among school-aged children in Taiwan. Drug and Alcohol Depend., 162: 219-226 [SCI, SSCI]
CONFERENCE PAPERS
Ting TT, Chen WJ, Huang SY, Chen KH, Lin KM, and Chen CY (2013): Alcohol metabolizing genes and alcohol drinking patterns in Asian adolescents: the roles of peer-network structure. Oral and poster presented at the XXIST World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics. Boston, Massachusetts, USA. October 17-21, 2013
Chang CM, Ting TT, Chen CY, Su LW, Lew-Ting CY, Hsiao CK, Chen WJ (2012): Ketamine expectancy and lifetime use experience of ketamine among regular alcohol and tobacco users in taipei metropolitan area. Poster presented at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Health Promotion and Education. New Taipei City, Taiwan, May 4-6, 2012
Chan CH, Ting TT, Chen YT, Chen C-Y, Chen WJ (2012): Early sexual initiation and adolescent emotional/behavioral problems: A national school-attending population study in Taiwan. Poster presented at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Health Promotion and Education. New Taipei City, Taiwan, May 4-6, 2012
Liu YC, Wang SH, Ting TT, Chen CY, Lew-Ting CY, Tsai YS, Chen YT, Hsiao CK and Chen W-J (2012): Risky decision making and illegal drug use among regular tobacco and alcohol users: Cognitive modeling analysis of the Iowa Gambling Task. Oral presented at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Conference on Health Promotion and Education. New Taipei City, Taiwan, May 4-6, 2012
Ting, TT, Chen Wei J., Chen YY, Chen KH, Lin KM, and Chen CY (2012): Contextual, genetic, and cognitive effects on alcohol consumption during the transition into adolescence. Poster presented at the 102th Annual Meeting of American Psychopathological Association. New York, New York, USA, March 1-3
Ting TT, Chen CY, Lew-Ting CY, Tsai YS, Chen YT, Su LW, Hsiao CK and Chen WJ (2011): Risky sexual behaviors and illegal drug use among young adult networks of alcohol and tobacco users. Oral presented at 2011 Taiwan Public Health Association Annual Meeting, Taipei, Taiwan, October 15-16.
Ting TT, Chen CY, Tsai YS, Chen YT, Chen WJ (2010): Assessing the Applicability of Respondent-Driven Sampling Method in Recruiting Illegal Drug Users in Taipei. Poster presented at the 43rd Society for Epidemiologic Research Annual Meeting. Seattle, Washington, USA, June 23-26.
Chen WJ, Fu TC, Ting TT, Tang GM, Hsiao CK, Chen CY (2007): Ecstasy use in Taiwanese adolescents: Trends, correlates and use of other substances in national surveys 2004-2006. Paper presented at The 39th Conference of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health. Kagawa Nutrition University, Sakado City, Saitama, Japan, November 22-25.
Ting TT, Chen CY, Tang GM, Huang SL, Hsiao CK, Chen WJ (2007): Association between substance experiences of the youth and stressful life events: Epidemiological evidence from a national school sample in Taiwan. Poster presented at the 97th Annual Meeting of American Psychopathology Association. The Crowne Plaza Hotel, New York, NY, USA, March 1-3.