People naturally come together to form communities. In society, we all depend on one another. When we strengthen the spirit of community, we make life better not only for the group as a whole but also for each person, by creating greater opportunities to reach their potential. A society always contains many different types of communities that coexist at the same time. We all live within a web of social relationships: some we choose, like the people of Lerești choosing each other’s company, while others are shaped by circumstance, such as Romanians who go abroad for work. Within this invisible fabric, community plays a vital role in primary prevention, and especially in the primary prevention of cancer, because the collective power of information, support, and solidarity can transform individual intentions into lasting healthy habits.

The canvas entitled Community Texture illustrates a hair-ball (node-and-line) type network including 2,378 individuals (nodes) and 30,359 social relationships (ties) of various kinds. The orange-colored nodes represent 122 citizens of Lerești who participated in at least one interview within the longitudinal personal network study. This research is part of the activities of the Lerești living lab developed under the 4P-CAN project. The blue-colored nodes represent individuals mentioned by study participants. In other words, across 266 interviews conducted in three waves, 122 people provided information about 59% of Lerești residents aged 18 and over. The size of each node is directly proportional to the number of ties that person has within the network. Orange-colored ties mark relationships between participants in the study or between participants and the people they nominated. Blue ties represent the connections among individuals nominated by participants. In short, Community Texture is an image built from real data collected from the residents of Lerești (Argeș).

Citizen engagement is the key to activating the ties displayed in this canvas: when residents co-create interventions, information and support flow faster through the community’s natural channels. Their participation turns the network from a map into a sustained engine of healthy change.

From the perspective of primary prevention, this canvas highlights the channels through which health-related information and behaviors can be effectively disseminated. Highly connected nodes (shown as larger in size) act as natural influencers, that is, individuals who, by their central position in the community, can amplify health messages and catalyze the adoption of preventive behaviors. The density of ties indicates the potential for social support to sustain lifestyle changes, while the diversity of relationship types suggests multiple pathways for transmitting knowledge and providing the emotional support necessary to maintain healthy behaviors over the long term. Understanding this social architecture allows for the development of targeted interventions that leverage the natural influence of local opinion leaders and the solidarity of the community to implement cancer prevention strategies more effectively.

Social relationships are present in every aspect of our lives, yet they remain invisible to the eye. We move through the world surrounded by ties that connect us to family, friends, colleagues, and even strangers, but these threads stay hidden until they are revealed. When made visible, they illustrate the beauty of social mechanisms: our ability to mobilize resources, to support one another, and to reach distant social circles through surprisingly short paths. What remains unseen in daily life becomes, when visualized, a living map of human connection. Within this fabric of social ties, personal networks, family, and community become essential allies in the primary prevention of cancer, through the collective power to sustain healthy habits and to spread knowledge and support.

The canvas entitled Reveal the hidden, in a stylized form, presents a method of social network sampling within the Lerești community. The visualized network comprises 261 individuals and 298 unique ties. The sampling process began with six independent points (seeds), represented in activated electric yellow (seeds that participated in the study) and activated electric red (a seed that did not participate in the study). The ties, shown in electric shades (orange, yellow, cyan blue), indicate different structural properties of the network. Among the 261 individuals, 122 participated in at least one interview across the three waves, 4 could not be connected, 12 were unavailable, 5 refused, and 118—although nominated—were not contacted by the research team. In other words, Reveal the hidden presents real field data from the community of Lerești (Argeș), collected as part of a longitudinal personal network study supported by the 4P-CAN project.

From a primary prevention perspective, this visualization demonstrates how the social capital of a community can be accessed and mobilized through strategic approaches. The starting points (seeds) illustrate the importance of carefully selecting health ambassadors, i.e., individuals who can become natural vectors for disseminating preventive information and promoting healthy behaviors. The different shades of ties reveal the diversity of communication and influence channels, suggesting that prevention messages can be adapted and transmitted through multiple social pathways. Variable participation (from acceptance to refusal) reflects the realities of implementing community interventions, highlighting the need for tailored strategies that respect local social dynamics. This map of connections provides a practical framework for developing prevention programs that use existing social strengths, transforming natural relationship networks into effective instruments for health promotion and cancer prevention. Also, it should be underlined that the seeds work only when selected and supported with the community. Citizen engagement legitimizes health ambassadors, builds trust, and rapidly extends the paths through which prevention messages reach everyone.

Vaccination decisions are not made in isolation, but in the heart of the family. Health values are invisible threads, woven and negotiated among the important people in our lives. That is why pro- or anti-vaccination choices do not scatter randomly across society, but gather in islands and constellations of ties. Interventions related to vaccination must address not only the individual but also the wider fabric of family and close networks.

The canvas entitled Inoculation brings together 82 ego-grams (images). Each image shows a person’s closest emotional social contacts and the way vaccination behavior is organized within social circles. In other words, each ego-gram corresponds to one of the 82 respondents interviewed in the first wave of the longitudinal social network study. Each pie is divided in two: the orange half represents people outside the household, while the light-yellow half represents people within the respondent’s household. Red nodes mark individuals the respondent believes are not vaccinated, while blue nodes represent individuals known to be vaccinated. Red ties connect people considered very close, while blue ties indicate weaker closeness. Viewed together, the 82 images reveal perception patterns; for example, the tendency of household members to be reported as having the same vaccination behavior. The Inoculation canvas represents a collage of real data collected in the community of Lerești (Argeș) during the first wave of the longitudinal personal network study carried out within the 4P-CAN project.

For primary cancer prevention, this collection of personal networks illustrates the fundamental principle that health behaviors spread through emotional closeness, not mere information. The clustering patterns observed in vaccination decisions also apply to cancer-preventive behaviors, e.g., from adopting a healthy diet and quitting smoking to participating in regular screenings. The intensity of ties (red vs. blue) suggests that those with whom we share the closest relationships exert a disproportionate influence on our health choices. The organization of behaviors into family and social clusters indicates that primary cancer prevention interventions must target not only the individual but also the relational ecosystem in which decisions are made. This perspective enables the development of strategies that mobilize the positive influence of close networks to support and strengthen the long-term adoption of lifestyles that reduce cancer risk. Additionally, as decisions are made within families and close circles, interventions succeed when they engage those around us, parents, grandparents and friends. Citizen voices nuance the messages and anchor them in the emotional reality of personal networks.

Food is not just an individual act, but a collective ritual. It functions as one of the strongest social institutions: bringing people together, building bridges of trust, and weaving subtle threads of intimacy. Around the table, people influence one another, share secrets, and over time come to share common and enduring eating habits. Tastes are passed on, mixed, and borrowed until they become a shared heritage of friends and families. That is why changing the way one person eats inevitably means changing the way their friends and close ones eat as well. Any intervention, e.g., whether aimed at reducing salt intake or adopting other healthy practices, must address not only the individual but also the close community in which they are embedded.

Collective feeding systems, such as school or corporate canteens, are particularly important for this very reason. Any change in a canteen's menu can quickly spread within the community of those who eat there and propagate to their family or friend networks. In the long run, these changes can prove much more effective than any individual information or education campaigns. Family and friend networks offer any healthy eating promotion strategy a unique opportunity for social transformation and, ultimately, for transforming population health.

The canvas entitled Nutrition panoply presents a visual story of 83 respondents from the first wave of the longitudinal personal network study conducted in the community of Lerești (Argeș), within the 4P-CAN project. Each network shows how respondents’ social contacts interact, with ties representing a high degree of perceived emotional closeness. Orange nodes indicate people who frequently (daily or weekly) consume processed foods high in salt, while blue nodes indicate those who consume such foods more rarely. The networks are arranged from the highest to the lowest concentration of processed food consumers. The canvas highlights strong similarity effects: typically, respondents who frequently consume these foods are surrounded by friends and family members with similar habits, although in some cases mixed dietary preferences also appear.

From a primary cancer prevention perspective, this collection of networks illustrates a fundamental principle: food habits that reduce cancer risk are strengthened and sustained through group effects. The visual transition from predominantly orange networks (high consumption of processed foods) to blue networks (low consumption) suggests that dietary change is not an individual process, but a collective one that spreads through social proximity. The clustering of food behaviors demonstrates that preventive nutrition interventions are more likely to succeed when targeting cohesive social groups rather than individuals in isolation. Mixed networks (orange-blue) identify points of tension and opportunity, where positive influence can catalyze shifts toward diets rich in antioxidants, fiber, and protective nutrients. This perspective enables the development of strategies that harness the ritualistic power of the shared meal to promote nutrition as a tool for cancer prevention within families and close communities. Also, dietary change takes root when co-designed with the groups who eat together. Citizen engagement helps identify the shared table as an intervention space and spreads healthy habits through group effects.

Smoking is not just an individual gesture, but a social ritual that both connects and divides. The lit cigarette becomes a pretext for meeting, for conversation, for solidarity among friends or colleagues. Smoke traces invisible circles of belonging, but also boundaries between those who share the habit and those who remain outside it. Just as the flame of a lighter is shared, so too are norms, routines, and sometimes dependencies. Changing a person’s smoking behavior means touching their entire circle of friends and ties. Any intervention must take into account not only the individual smoker but also the social network that sustains or can transform the habit.

The canvas Ties in smoke presents a collection of hive-plot images. These special illustrations divide, along three axes, the close contacts of 83 respondents from the community of Lerești (Argeș), according to smoking status. The data were collected in the first wave of the longitudinal personal network study carried out within the 4P-CAN project. Smokers are marked in red, former smokers in blue, and people whom respondents know have never smoked in green. Within each category, darker shades (dark red, dark blue, dark green) identify men, while lighter shades represent women. Red lines connect smokers with non-smokers or former smokers, while white lines connect non-smokers with former smokers.

This canvas can be read as a map of risk. In nearly all 83 personal networks, red ties highlight exposure to the risks of smoking (such as passive smoking). Networks with many red ties may indicate social spaces where smoking and smokers face little social resistance. Networks with fewer red ties reflect contexts where smoking tends to be socially isolated. White ties emphasize the connections between non-smokers and former smokers, revealing potential systems of social support for quitting. The diversity of networks shows that smoking creates very different social spaces: from mixed communities of smokers, non-smokers, and ex-smokers to groups strongly segregated by smoking status.

From the perspective of primary cancer prevention, this collection of networks reveals the social architecture of the most significant controllable risk factor. Dense red ties signal social risk zones where smoking initiation is facilitated by the normality and acceptability of the behavior within close circles. Conversely, configurations dominated by white ties and green nodes identify protective ecosystems where quitting is socially supported and non-smoking is the dominant norm. The presence of former smokers (blue nodes) within networks provides tangible evidence that quitting is possible, serving as behavioral models and sources of encouragement. This perspective enables the targeted identification of high-risk communities and the development of interventions that use the positive influence of non-smokers and former smokers to catalyze quitting and prevent tobacco-related cancers. Moreover, to reduce smoking, the community must be part of the solution: former smokers, non-smokers, and informal leaders can provide day-to-day support for quitting. Their engagement shifts norms from within the networks, where temptation and support operate over short distances.

People do not live in isolation, but in networks of ties and social encounters that shape their everyday health. A map does not show only streets and neighborhoods, but also the invisible routes through which behaviors, norms, and habits are transmitted. In certain places, such as markets, fairs, schools, or gyms, these ties intensify, giving rise to so-called hot spots. Here, habits circulate like information: what one individual does can quickly be adopted by the group, and in turn, the group can influence the individual. Some practices have negative health consequences, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, or meals high in fat and sugar. Others, on the contrary, are protective: physical activity, balanced nutrition, or participation in cultural and sporting events.

Risk factors such as smoking or unhealthy eating are not just individual habits but are organized within social networks of family and friends and, at the same time, in specific geographical spaces. Some places cultivate health: a gym, a school, a courtyard where children play. Others become fertile ground for unhealthy behaviors: a tobacco shop, a bar, a street where smoke or pollution becomes the norm. Primary cancer prevention in rural areas must consider not only how these risks are transmitted through our social networks but also their geography, the places where they take root and repeat themselves. Understanding the social and spatial map of risk means being able to build bridges toward healthier habits.

The canvas entitled Geography of risk highlights various community hot spots. Some nurture healthy behaviors (green-marked areas), while others encourage unhealthy ones (red-marked areas). Orange nodes represent individuals with harmful habits, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, or sedentary lifestyles, while green nodes indicate people adopting healthy behaviors, such as exercising, avoiding salty foods, or not smoking. The circulation of these behaviors, whether healthy or unhealthy, occurs not only through ties between individuals but also through the spaces they inhabit and interact within.

From the perspective of primary cancer prevention, this socio-spatial map reveals how oncological risk is geographically distributed depending on the concentration and interaction of determining factors. Intense red areas signal ecosystems of risk where multiple exposures (smoking + alcohol + sedentary lifestyle + unhealthy eating) create a synergistic effect that amplifies cancer risk. Conversely, green islands identify health sanctuaries, i.e., geographical and social spaces that promote protective behaviors and can serve as models for the wider community. The density and proximity of nodes in these zones suggest that prevention interventions must be contextual, targeting both physical space (through the creation of green areas, limiting access to harmful substances) and social dynamics (by mobilizing local leaders from green zones to influence red ones). This geo-social approach makes it possible to transform the geography of risk into a geography of opportunity for health. Additionally, it should be noted that residents know the hot spots and can co-decide how to transform them, e.g., from risk spaces into health spaces. Their engagement makes interventions contextual, fitted to Lerești’s actual streets, markets, and habits.

We tend to view nutrition through isolated components such as vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates. Yet traditional cuisine tells a different story: one of connections, context, and combinations. The structure of our food is a network, and understanding it can change how we think about a balanced diet. Not only people are linked by durable relationships, such as friendship, kinship, or by weaker ties with acquaintances. Foods, too, are connected, forming invisible networks rediscovered at every meal. A meal is not only a moment to observe how people interact, but also a window into how ingredients meet and complement one another. For some, grilled minced meat rolls always come with bread, mustard, fries, and beer. For others, breakfast means the combination of cheeses, cold cuts, and vegetables. To understand how we might intervene in eating habits, we must look not only at how much or when people eat, but also at how they associate foods. Ingredient networks tell subtle stories about who we are, our habits, and the health we cultivate or lose.

The canvas entitled Alchemy of ingredients presents 90 unique food ingredients, represented as nodes connected by 710 ties. This network of ingredients is built from over 300 Eastern European recipes, where a connection appears only when two ingredients have been used together in at least four different recipes. The data come from the study published by Yong-Yeol Ahn and colleagues in Scientific Reports (2011). Green nodes represent plant-based foods, orange nodes animal products, brown nodes cereals and grain-based foods, yellow nodes oils and fats, and red nodes alcoholic beverages. The result reveals the most frequent culinary partnerships and highlights our instinctive preferences and pairing habits.

Traditional cuisines, like those of Eastern Europe, have evolved over centuries through successive refinements, arriving at a logical system of combinations. At the center of the network are versatile staple ingredients (potatoes, root vegetables, flour, and eggs) that sustain the entire food culture. Around them, other ingredients organize themselves, forming an architecture of taste in which balance is not a rigid list of rules but a coherent, well-connected structure. A balanced meal resembles a stable cluster in the culinary network: a carbohydrate hub (bread or potatoes), linked to a protein source, and complemented by vitamins and minerals from vegetables.

The lesson of Alchemy of ingredients is that culinary traditions carry within them an innate wisdom. They are systems designed to provide nourishing and satisfying meals from available foods. Rather than seeing healthy eating as a set of prohibitions, we can understand it as an act of connection: a grammar of food that teaches us to build meals not only balanced by modern standards, but also rich in history and culture.

From the perspective of primary cancer prevention, this culinary network shows how traditional ingredient combinations can serve as natural tools of oncological protection. The predominance of green nodes at the network’s core confirms the protective role of plant-based foods, rich in antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals that reduce cancer risk. The dense connections between whole grains (brown nodes), vegetables (green), and healthy oils (yellow) illustrate the structure of an anticancer diet that is not artificially imposed but derived from accumulated culinary wisdom. The peripheral positions and low connectivity of alcoholic beverages (red) suggest that traditional cuisines intuitively recognize the limits of alcohol consumption. This perspective allows for the development of nutritional interventions that do not fight against local food culture but refine and valorize it, transforming existing culinary networks into preventive ecosystems that reduce cancer risk through pleasure and cultural continuity, not through restrictions. Furthermore, a community’s recipes are living heritage; citizen engagement enables small, culturally acceptable tweaks with significant health impact. Co-creating menus and workshops with locals turns tradition into an ally of prevention.