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Strengthening Families Affected By Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Evaluation Of A Rural Extension Program, Pamela B. Payne, Jill Baker-Tingey

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Heart and Hope (H&H) was designed to provide parenting education and social-emotional skills to children and parents exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) in rural Nevada. The goal was to evaluate IPV efforts by measuring parent (N = 47) and children’s (N =100) knowledge and behavior change around building healthy relationships and improved parenting practices following exposure to IPV and the H&H curriculum. Results indicated significant increases in both perceived knowledge and behavior change, suggesting that the program is effective in strengthening family relationships, improving parenting practices, developing emotional competency, and helping families envision a positive future. One of the …

Community Building As A Philosophy, Not An Initiative, Anne C. Kubisch, Kasi Allen, Max Gimbel

The Foundation Review

What happens when a foundation invests in community building for the long haul? The Ford Family Foundation, a rural embedded funder in southern Oregon, has made that transition over the past decade. The result is a transformed organization with a 10-year strategic plan focused on helping rural communities build the futures that they want to see — places where children and families can thrive.

The foundation is pursuing community building not as a stand-alone strategy or “initiative,” but as a philosophy that guides local community development efforts based on capacity building and grantmaking based on partnerships. The shift to a …

A Scoping Review Of The Impact Of Food Policy Groups On Local Food Systems In High-Income Countries, Stephanie Louise Godrich, Jess Doe, Sarah Goodwin, Laura Alston, Katherine Kent

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This scoping review aimed to explore international evidence on the impact of Food Policy Groups (FPGs) on local food systems, in urban and rural regions of high-income countries. Peer-reviewed and grey literature were searched to identify 31 documents published between 2002 and 2022 providing evidence on the impact of FPGs. Activities spanned domains including increasing food equity (e.g. strengthening school meals programs); increasing knowledge and/or demand for healthy food (e.g. food literacy programs with children and adults); increasing food access (e.g. enhancing local food procurement); environmental sustainability (e.g. promoting low-waste food items on café menus); economic development (e.g. ensuring local …

An Exploration Of Service Needs And Preferences Of Dementia Caregivers In Kentucky, Heehyul Moon, Sunshine Rote, Allison Kacmar, Amy Kostelic, Bari Lewis

The Journal of Extension

As Americans live longer, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will increase. Caregivers are critical to the care and life quality of people with dementia. Yet, dementia caregivers are at increased risk for health issues, social isolation, and financial challenges. To help educators with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service work with their local Alzheimer’s Association and the University of Louisville to better support dementia families, we explored caregiver needs and service utilization using an online survey. Our findings highlighted the need for counseling/support, care management skills, resource education, self-care strategies, and legal services. Extension Service Educators …

Organizing For Power: Understanding Changing Conceptions Of Power In Rural Community Organizing, Evan R. Morden

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Community organizing is a practice of building and utilizing collective power, often initiated by groups who have little or no preexisting social or economic power. By acting together in a disciplined, organized, and targeted fashion, organizing is used to exert influence in the public square to achieve policy outcomes, provide mutual aid, and reweave the fabric of social relations in communities, frequently in direct opposition to existing power structures. Thus, creating a shared understanding of power that is fundamentally liberative is key to the success of organizing efforts and moreover, to creating lasting community cohesion that can continue to mount …

Strategic Planning In Small Nonprofit Behavioral Health Organizations, Amanda Machamer Becker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Rural communities in the United States depend on small community-based nonprofits to provide access to food, nutrition, transportation, and other social determinants of health. Despite this essential role, some leaders of small nonprofits forgo participating in strategic planning because they believe that the process can be time consuming and expensive. Strategic planning may help organizations of any size to be organized, mission focused, outcome based, and successful. The strategic planning process helps to identify which outcomes demonstrate effectiveness and increase program sustainability. The purpose of this study was to explore the ways that strategic planning may assist small rural community-based …

Relevance Of Availability Of Information Resource Centres On Rural Development In Akure North Local Government Of Nigeria, Adewusi Akinola, Felix Akinola Adewusi Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

This study attempts to x-ray relevance of availability of information resource centres on rural development in Akure North Local Government, Ondo State, Nigeria. The study reveals that information resource centres are not available in the communities under the local government. The essence of rural development, appraisal of various initiatives in Nigeria, information needs of rural dwellers and information resource centre were discussed in the study. The need for provision of information resource centres in rural communities was also discussed. It is revealed that with valuable up-to-date information resources in the centres it would empower and enable the people irrespective …

A Program Evaluation Of A Rural Nursing Academic Partnership, Meagan A. Spencer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education continue to promote the implementation and creation of literature on academic partnerships, a Christian university, sought to evaluate its academic partnership with a for-profit hospital for the first time in regard to student perspectives. The purpose of this mixed-methods program evaluation was to describe the student perceptions of the academic partnership in trusting, collaborating, and engaging nursing students and recruiting and retaining nursing graduates to rural hospitals and health care facilities. Measurable impacts included both qualitative and quantitative coding of the levels of trust, collaboration, and …

Food In A Rural Town: The Complexities Of Procurement, Margaret Kubek

Field Notes: A Journal of Collegiate Anthropology

In recent years, access to food for particular areas in the United States, both rural and urban, has become problematic. Big box retailers have put smaller community grocers out of business and are typically not located in rural areas. Food insecure areas are generally known as food deserts, a term that has entered the popular nomenclature. The USDA attempts to capture areas that are food insecure through the creation of mapping tools that rely upon particular indicators, such as geographic distance to a supermarket, availability of a vehicle, and alternative sources of food. Phelps, the site of this research project, …

A Crisis Of Underinsurance Threatens To Scar Rural Australia Permanently, Chloe Lucas, Christine Eriksen, David M. J. S Bowman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Australia is in the midst of a bushfire crisis that will affect local communities for years, if not permanently, due to a national crisis of underinsurance. Already more than 1,500 homes have been destroyed - with months still to go in the bushfire season. Compare this to 2009, when Victoria's "Black Saturday" fires claimed more than 2,000 homes in February, or 1983, when the "Ash Wednesday" fires destroyed about 2,400 homes in Victoria and South Australia, also in February. The 2020 fire season could end up surpassing these tragedies, despite the lessons learned and improvements in preparedness. One lesson not …

Impact Of Coaching By Extension Professionals On Rural Wellness Coalition Success, Taylor Willhite

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To quantitatively assess coaches perceived confidence in coaching rural wellness coalitions and to qualitatively determine barriers and facilitators to success in coaching rural wellness coalitions.
Design: A mixed methods design was utilized with quantitative (scorecard) and qualitative (key informant interviews) methodologies.
Setting: Six rural South Dakota wellness coalitions.
Participants: Extension wellness coalition coaches (n=7), one previous and six current.
Intervention: A component of the broader SDSU Extension 1416 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) intervention.
Analysis: STATA was utilized for the quantitative scorecard data by running paired ttests. NVivo was utilized in the …

Empowering Rural Participation And Partnerships In Morocco’S Sustainable Development, Yossef Ben-Meir

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This essay explores the vast potential for participatory and sustainable human development in Morocco. Though Morocco is a country with many diverse resources, it remains burdened by severe levels of poverty and illiteracy, and now growing social discord. There have recently been increased public calls for participatory development programs designed and implemented by and for local people. The essay identifies six existing Moroccan Frameworks intended to initiate decentralized human development programs, and critically examines their efficacy. Ultimately, the purpose of the article is to suggest a new model to implement these Frameworks with maximum impact. The six Frameworks deal with …

Healthcare Access Barriers In Rural America, Lakyn E. Jolly

Kentucky Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship

• In rural America, the path to accessing healthcare is met with many challenges. These challenges can present geographically and structurally within rural healthcare systems, as well as larger healthcare delivery entities. Due to these access barriers, rural Americans are at higher risk for developing poor health outcomes, as compared to their urban counterparts. Among these are higher mortality and morbidity rates, higher instances of chronic conditions, and higher rates of childhood obesity. Because rural communities are at risk for adverse health outcomes, it is vital that research and policy be geared toward reducing barriers to accessing healthcare within this population. …

Mapping Collective Action Structures And Activities In A Rural Age-Friendly Communities Initiative, Althea R. Pestine-Stevens

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) initiatives convene stakeholders across sectors and service areas throughout a community to work together to improve the social and built environments for older persons living in the community. While the AFC movement has been active internationally for thirteen years, little is known about the mechanisms that drive this work and its successes. This study aims to uncover some of the key collective action processes and structures that comprise AFC work in a rural county in New York State, through a collaboration theory framework and a social network analysis design.

The Role Of A Community Coach In Rural Food Councils In Six Midwestern States, Kaitlyn Tusha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To quantitatively assess perceived coaching confidence of a community coach working with food councils, and to qualitatively determine perceived barriers and facilitators associated with coaching rural food councils.
Design: Two phases were implemented using a mixed methods study design with quantitative (scorecard) and qualitative (key informant interviews) methodologies.
Setting: Six rural, Midwestern states implementing Voices for Food.
Participants: Voices for Food community coaches (n=9) who coached rural food council(s).
Intervention: A component of the broader Voices for Food intervention.
Analysis: Quantitative scorecard data were analyzed with STATA by running paired ttests. Qualitative key information interview data were analyzed with …

By Us And For Us: A Story Of Early Childhood Development Systems Change And Results In A Rural Context, Lisa Payne Simon, Kirsten Scobie, Phoebe Backler, Catherine Mcdowell, Charles Cotton, Susan Cloutier, Clare Nolan

The Foundation Review

Since 2007, the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund — a donor-advised fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation — has invested in early childhood development in Coös County — New Hampshire’s largest and most rural and economically disadvantaged county. Community providers from a range of disciplines formed strong professional relationships and agreed on common goals and evidence-based strategies to improve services for children and families.

This article describes how local community members joined forces with the fund to create an integrated early childhood development system for Coös’ children and families. It provides background on the investment and initiative strategy, summarizes …

The Role Of Communication In Sustainable Development Tourism: A Case Study On Community-Based Tourism (Pokdarwis) In Nglanggeran Village, Ferinnadya Annisa Putri, Nissa Cita Adinia

Jurnal Komunikasi Indonesia

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menemukan bagaimana strategi komunikasi dalam memberdayakan masyarakat pedesaan untuk mengembangkan pariwisata lokal dan bagaimana fitur komunikasi tertentu menghasilkan perubahan sosial dan berkontribusi untuk meningkatkan partisipasi masyarakat dalam mengembangkan pariwisata lokal. Peneliti menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan melakukan studi deskriptif pada objek penelitian. Peneliti menganalisis strategi komunikasi Kelompok Sadar Wisata (Pokdarwis) di Desa Nglanggeran dan signifikansinya dalam meningkatkan partisipasi masyarakat dalam mengembangkan pariwisata lokal. Penelitian menunjukkan bagaimana Desa Nglanggeran memberikan kisah sukses partisipasi masyarakat dalam mengembangkan desa melalui kegiatan pariwisata. Perubahan sosial juga termanifestasi dalam peningkatan kesejahteraan dan partisipasi masyarakat dalam memperluas kegiatan pariwisata mereka bahkan lebih. Penelitian …

The Effect Of A School-Based Health Center On Access To Care In A Rural Community, Macey Cornwell

DNP Projects

BACKGROUND: Lack of access to healthcare is a nationwide issue that affects underserved, minority, and rural populations. School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) is one way to help increase access to care for students, staff, and family members.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this project was to provide preliminary data on the impact of a SBHC in a rural Kentucky community on access to care and school attendance.

METHODS: A univariate descriptive analysis was conducted to evaluate the perceived impact of the SBHC on access to care and demographic factors. Data was analyzed using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, two-sample t-tests, and The Wilcoxon …

Organizational Factors Associated With Quality Perinatal Care, Lisa H. Akers

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Provisions for perinatal care are an integral part of quality healthcare and are increasingly moving to the forefront of quality care measures in the healthcare setting (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012; National Quality Forum, 2012; & The Joint Commission, 2010). Previous literature specifically focused attention to general quality of care, but recently there has been a call for a more comprehensive approach to measuring quality in the perinatal care setting, which necessitates the need for a better understanding of what is currently being offered (Collins & Draycott, 2015). Until now the literature has remained limited on the association …

The Migration Of Horticultural Knowledge: Pacific Island Seasonal Workers In Rural Australia-A Missed Opportunity?, Olivia V. Dun, Natascha Klocker

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In 2012, Graeme Hugo wrote the article 'Migration and Development in Low-income Countries: A Role for Destination Country Policy?' for the inaugural issue of the journal Migration and Development. That article, which continues to be the journal's most viewed work,1 used the case of Asian and Pacific migration to Australia to question 'whether policies and practices by destination governments relating to international migration and settlement can play a role in facilitating positive developmental impacts in origin communities' (Hugo 2012, 25). The importance of such structural support for development has been underscored, in relation to seasonal worker programs, by growing evidence …

Community Mobilization For Hiv Testing Uptake: Results From A Community Randomized Trial Of A Theory-Based Intervention In Rural South Africa, Sheri Lippman, Torsten Neilands, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Dean Peacock, Suzanne Maman, Dumisani Rebombo, Rhian Twine, Amanda Selin, Hannah Leslie, Kathleen Kahn, Audrey Pettifor

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: HIV testing uptake in South Africa is below optimal levels. Community mobilization (CM) may increase and sustain demand for HIV testing, however, little rigorous evidence exists regarding the effect of CM interventions on HIV testing and the mechanisms of action.

Methods: We implemented a theory-driven CM intervention in 11 of 22 randomly-selected villages in rural Mpumalanga Province. Cross-sectional surveys including a community mobilization measure were conducted before (n = 1181) and after (n = 1175) a 2-year intervention (2012–2014). We assessed community-level intervention effects on reported HIV testing using multilevel logistic models. We used structural equation models to explore …

Community Innovation Network Framework: A Model For Reshaping Community Identity, William P. Moore, Adena M. Klem, Cheryl L. Holmes, June Holley, Carlie Houchen

The Foundation Review

The REACH Healthcare Foundation created its Rural Health Initiative to encourage the development of innovative strategies to improve access to health care and reduce health inequities in three rural counties in Missouri and Kansas. The intent was to develop a systematic, sustainable, and coordinated approach to community change that would increase the odds of breaking through the persistent barriers to health care access for the rural poor and medically underserved in these counties.

This article discusses the foundation’s original approach to the initiative and how it adjusted that approach in response to its rural partners’ experiences. It reflects on the …

Adapting A Physical Activity Intervention For Youth In A Rural Area: A Case Study, Moya L. Alfonso, Gavin Golquitt, Ashley Walker, Akrati Gupta

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Physical activity offers children and youth many well-documented positive effects on health. The present study adapted a community-based prevention marketing campaign (CBPM), VERBTM Summer Scorecard (VSS) to promote physical activity among minority youth in rural, southeast Georgia. The purpose of this paper is to describe the adaptation process, emphasizing methods used and lessons learned.

Methods: A qualitative study design was used to identify social marketing concepts that informed program adaptation, including two focus groups with 12 children and two focus groups with 14 parents. Qualitative thematic data analysis was used to analyze formative research. The adapted program was implemented …

Capacity Building And Community Resilience: A Pilot Analysis Of Education And Employment Indicators Before And After An Extension Intervention, Russell Weaver

The Journal of Extension

This article reports on an analysis of the effects of a quasinatural experiment in which 16 rural communities participated in public discussion, leadership training, and community visioning as part of an Extension program at Montana State University. Difference-in-differences methods reveal that key U.S. Census socioeconomic indicators either improved more rapidly or declined more slowly in communities that took part in the program, relative to a statistically matched control group. These findings offer persuasive circumstantial evidence for the ability of Extension programs to build community resilience. The findings and methodology, therefore, have important implications for Extension's role in current public and …

Role Of Dignity In Rural Natural Resource Governance, Tora Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dignity is “an internal state of peace that comes with the recognition and acceptance of the value and vulnerability of all living things” (Hicks, 2011, p. 1). Dignity is a crucial element in effective governance arrangements. This study applies dignity theory, and related theories of natural resource governance and environmental communication, to understand and overcome barriers to effective governance of common pool resources in rural communities. Chapter 1 reviews relevant literature on natural resource governance and develops a theoretical framework for dignity. Chapter 2 applies dignity theory to a contentious comprehensive planning process in a small Maine town in order …

Lessons About Boundaries And Reciprocity In Rural-Based Preceptorships, Olive Yonge, Florence Myrick, Linda M. Ferguson, Quinn Grundy

Quality Advancement in Nursing Education - Avancées en formation infirmière

This paper is a report of a photovoice study of rural nursing preceptorship experiences in Western Canada. Background: Rural preceptorship placements are a vital means of recruiting new nurses to rural settings. Contextual knowledge is essential for students undertaking such preceptorships, as well as for educators, and researchers. It is widely known that rural nurses and their clients share a culture of self-reliance, adaptability and flexible professional boundaries, but the role of preceptors in conveying this culture to students warrants deeper exploration. Methods: Four nursing students and their four rural preceptors (nurse educators) took part in an eighteen …

Social And Environmental Justice And The Water-Energy Nexus: A Quest In Progress For Rural People, Karen V. Harper-Dorton Ph.D., Stacia J. Harper

Contemporary Rural Social Work Journal

Access to affordable and reliable clean water and energy is necessary for economic development, health, and well-being of all people worldwide. Unavailable, unaffordable, or unreliable water and energy resources represent social and environmental injustices that disproportionately burden poor people, especially those in rural areas. Furthermore, there is an inextricable link between water and energy: clean water requires power for delivery and sanitation, and power production requires large amounts of water. This water-energy nexus connects two vital resources for humanity with more attention to economic concerns than to human or environmental issues. This paper addresses social and environmental justice issues that …

Planning For A Community Supported Farmers Market In A Rural Usda Food Desert, Carrie Lynn Engelbright

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A community initiative to develop and sustain a farmer's market can address insufficient access to fresh and affordable fruits and vegetables for individuals working and residing in a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated food desert. This project addressed a particular USDA food desert in South Wood County, Wisconsin. The purpose of this project was to develop and plan for implementation and evaluation of a community-supported farmers market in South Wood County, with the goal to increase access to fruits and vegetables. Project objectives included development of a sustainable community infrastructure to support the market, development of policies and …

The Role Of Higher Education In Rural Community Development, Anita Faye Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Higher education institutions commonly play a role in community development. Rural communities may be even more dependent on the university's investment. As higher education has looked to meet demands of stakeholders calling for greater accountability, it has become necessary for universities to be able to justify the effectiveness of these efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine the elements necessary for successful rural community development in Western Oklahoma. Utilizing the Delphi research method, 20 community development experts in rural Western Oklahoma participated in the three-round survey process. In the initial survey, participants collectively submitted a list of 41 …

Sustaining Community: A New Social, Economic, And Environmental Path For Ware, Ma, Aviva J. Galaski

Masters Theses

In Western Massachusetts, as in many regions of the United States, the municipalities with significant population size are significantly eclipsed in both number and area by the surrounding towns and villages. Struggling rural locations often face similar challenges to their urban counterparts: declining or failed industry, high levels of unemployment or under-employment, and lack access of quality housing across income classes. In addition to these obstacles, they also face additional difficulties of both physical and social isolation. While a great deal of recent effort has been placed in studying the architectural and planning interventions needed in struggling urban locations, rural …