Rural Sociology Commons^™

Community Viability And Attitudes Toward Mental Illness: Rural Insights For Community-Based Care, Carrie N. Baker, Sarah A. Bush

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Access to mental healthcare varies greatly in rural, suburban, and urban communities. The community viability indicator (CVI) and the community attitudes to mental illness (CAMI) scale are tools for understanding a community’s health and viability and their receptiveness toward people with mental illness. This study of US adults (n = 1,028) in rural, urban, and suburban communities aimed to describe the relationship between community viability and community attitudes toward mental illness and determine the effect of community type on CAMI scores. Results revealed positive associations between community attitudes toward mental illness and community viability for rural and suburban community members. …

The Geography Of Care: Rural Versus Urban Caregiver Perspectives On Community Resources For Parkinson’S Disease Management, Rebecca Jones

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study investigated the experiences and perceptions of caregivers for individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) in rural versus urban settings, with particular emphasis on their access to and utilization of community resources. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 caregivers, the research explored how geographical location impacts caregiving challenges, support systems, and resource accessibility. Using Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use as a theoretical framework, the study revealed both universal caregiving challenges and location-specific barriers. While all caregivers reported significant emotional burden and healthcare system navigation difficulties, rural caregivers faced distinct challenges related to resource accessibility and specialized care availability. …

The Impact Of Virtual Learning On Health Literacy: Lessons From A Virtual Townhall Held By The Lamar University Recovery And Resilience Academy, Margot Gage Witvliet, Chiung-Fang Chang

Research Symposium

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the entire world. This caused universities and addiction recovery programs to get creative on how to reach community needs. Many professors found themselves teaching online for the first time. Apps for mental health and addiction recovery programs grew exponentially. Information on how adequate virtual programs perform are mixed. We investigate the extent to which a virtual program can increase health literacy. To accomplish this, the professors of the sociology program launched the Recovery and Resilience Academy (RnR Academy). The aim of RnR Academy is to serve as an outreach and educational center for the …

My Path To Advanced Practice, Hannah Oiselle Knisley

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Understanding Motivations Among Sustained Cooperative Extension Partners For Obesity Prevention In Rural Louisiana, Catherine R. Losavio

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana consistently has one of the highest rates of obesity in the nation with higher concentrations of obesity in many rural parishes (i.e., counties). Due to over a century of visibility and engagement in rural communities, Cooperative Extension (Extension) is uniquely poised to reach remote rural communities disproportionately impacted by obesity. As Extension increases its use of community coalitions and implements its new National Framework for Health Equity and Well-Being, understanding motivations and communication preferences among long-term rural coalition partners for obesity prevention and health promotion has become essential for duplicating successful local-level policy, system, and environmental (PSE) changes. This …

Associations Between Physical Activity And Alcohol Consumption In Rural Cancer Survivors, Scherezade K Mama, Natalia I Heredia, Hannah Johnston, David E Conroy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Rural adults and cancer survivors are more likely to be physically inactive and exceed recommendations for alcohol use. Physical activity and alcohol use are positively associated in adults and cancer survivors but associations between physical activity and alcohol use in rural cancer survivors is unknown. This cross-sectional study explored associations between physical activity, sitting time, and alcohol use in rural cancer survivors.

METHODS: Cancer survivors residing in central Pennsylvania were recruited to the Partnering to Prevent and Control Cancer (PPCC) study and completed mailed questionnaires assessing physical activity (low, moderate, high), sitting time (≥6 hours/day), and alcohol use (0 …

Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Development Increased Income For Rural Pennsylvania Families, But Youth Obesity Rates Remained High, Molly A. Martin

Population Health Research Brief Series

A new study finds that despite increased income due to MarcellusShale, childhood obesity in rural PA remain unchanged.

In Their Own Words: How Opioids Have Impacted The Lives Of “Everyday” People Living In Appalachia, Patricia Nola Eugene Roberson, Gina Cortez, Laura H. Trull, Katherine Allison Lenger

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: The opioid epidemic is ravaging people, families, and communities in Appalachia. However, limited research has examined how “everyday” people (e.g., not chronic pain patients, not medical professionals) living in these communities how opioids have impacted their lives.

Objective: Identify the perception of the opioid epidemic on individuals, families, and communities from people living in region most impacted regions.

Methods: Patients were recruited at Remote Area Medical clinics throughout Central and Southern Appalachia to complete interviews online (N = 169) or over the phone (N = 26), including one open-ended question about how opioids have impacted their lives.

Results: Using …

Improving Access To Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder In High-Need Areas: The Role Of Hrsa Health Centers, Michael Topmiller, Jennifer Rankin, Jessica L. Mccann, Jene Grandmont, David Grolling, Mark Carrozza, Hank Hoang, Josh Bolton, Alek Sripipatana

Journal of Appalachian Health

Introduction: Despite the opioid epidemic adversely affecting areas across the U.S. for more than two decades and increasing evidence that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is effective for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), access to treatment is still limited. The limited access to treatment holds true in the Appalachia region despite being disproportionately affected by the crisis, particularly in rural, central Appalachia.

Purpose: This research identifies opportunities for health centers located in high-need areas based on drug poisoning mortality to better meet MAT care gaps. We also provide an in-depth look at health center MAT capacity relative to need …

Rural Community Toolbox To Help Battle Opioid Epidemic, Liz Carey

Journal of Appalachian Health

An online data repository and toolbox created by the Office of National Drug Control Policy is designed to provide communities with knowledge and resources to fight the opioid epidemic according to their unique needs.

Flooding Negatively Affects Health And Rural America Is Not Immune, Danielle Rhubart

Population Health Research Brief Series

Flooding is on the rise in the US and rural states are not immune. Chronic and one-time flood events can have devastating consequences for financial well-being, with residual impacts on mental and physical health.

The U.S. Rural Mortality Penalty Is Wide And Growing, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

In the U.S., rural mortality rates are much higher than those in urban areas, and the gap has widened in recent years. Several causes of death are to blame.

Rural Covid-19 Mortality Rates Are Highest In Counties With The Largest Percentages Of Blacks And Hispanics, Kent Jason G. Cheng, Yue Sun, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 mortality risk is not distributed equally across the U.S. Among rural counties, the average daily increase in COVID-19 mortality rates has been significantly higher in counties with the largest percentages of Black and Hispanic residents.

Experiencing Cancer In Appalachian Kentucky, Melanie Mccomsey, David Ahern, Robin C. Vanderpool, Timothy W. Mullett, Ming-Yuan Chih, Meghan Johnson, Michele Ellison, Karen Onyeije, Bradford W. Hesse, Eliah Aronoff-Spencer

Journal of Appalachian Health

Nothing tells the story of people working together better than a community quilt. A diversity of talents, colors, and materials brought together through skill and shared purpose. Perhaps never before have we as Americans needed a stronger reminder that many hands make short work of big problems. The work presented here by the L.A.U.N.C.H. Collaborative offers a new framework for health care that could be compared to a digital quilt, powered by community-based participatory design, with lived expertise and the newest advances in broadband-enabled connected health solutions. This work demonstrates the value and need to engage local communities and what …

Preface: Experiencing Cancer In Appalachian Kentucky, Michele Ellison, Robin C. Vanderpool

Journal of Appalachian Health

Connected cancer care is of increasing importance in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Linking & Amplifying User-Centered Networks through Connected Health (L.A.U.N.C.H.) Collaborative in Appalachian Kentucky has pioneered a new roadmap for equipping communities with the transformative power of broadband to innovate around the future of cancer care and to better scale their ideas. The roadmap involves reaching across disciplines, including public health, anthropology, telecommunications, and user-centered design. The goal is to leverage connectivity and cancer communication research and practice to make a real difference for patients and families.

Appalachian Regional Commission Recovery Ecosystem Background And Overview, Kostas Skordas, Andrew Howard

Journal of Appalachian Health

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has long addressed issues of substance abuse through funded community-based interventions, research, and sponsored conferences. Recently, the opioid crisis created a new urgency for cross-sector collaboration among various partners and funders dealing with this issue. This commentary provides an overview of recent efforts by the ARC to convene stakeholders to focus on assisting individuals with substance abuse disorder to access recovery services while pursuing education and training necessary to reenter the workforce and gain employment. Two papers have been prepared to describe this year-long effort. One paper focuses on the participatory methods used to gather …

Perspective On Substance-Abuse Recovery Ecosystem From The Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair, Tim Thomas

Journal of Appalachian Health

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a local, state, and federal partnership focused on economic development in the communities of the Appalachian Region. ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas provides his perspective on how an economic development entity, such as ARC, can support efforts to address the Region’s drug crisis in a way that both saves lives and strengthens economic opportunity in communities throughout Appalachia.

Fiscal Challenges And Anticipated Changes To Kentucky's Population Health System, Jeffrey Howard

Journal of Appalachian Health

The hallmark of public health is population-level intervention. However, current public health funding in Kentucky is largely programmatic or disease-based. As a result, public health leaders are not able to appropriately utilize present resources to pursue population health endeavors. However, a recent transformation of the public health system has emphasized multisector partnerships and efficient funding mechanisms that may increase resources to pursue population-level health interventions based on community health assessments.

Rural Ohio Faces High Health Risk During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Danielle Rhubart, Shannon M. Monnat, Yue Sun

Population Health Research Brief Series

Ohio was among the first states to implement interventions to reduce community spread during the early stages of COVID-19. These actions came with strong pushback from leaders in many of the state’s rural counties. Residents of Ohio's most rural counties are at high risk of hospitalization and death due to COVID-19.

High Covid-19 Mortality Risk In Pennsylvania’S Rural Counties, Raeven Faye Chandler, Shannon M. Monnat, Yue Sun

Population Health Research Brief Series

COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania have been concentrated in eastern urban counties this far. However, the 14-day incident rate has recently begun increasing in several rural counties that have high prevalence of several chronic health conditions that increase risk of severe complications and death from COVID-19.

Preventing Heat-Related Fatalities During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Danielle Rhubart

Population Health Research Brief Series

The deadliest weather-related health outcomes in the U.S. are heat-related. Older adults – especially those in the most urban and rural areas of the US - are at high risk of heat-related death.

New York State’S Rural Counties Have Higher Covid-19 Mortality Risk, Shannon M. Monnat, Yue Sun

Population Health Research Brief Series

As New York’s regions move through their various phases of reopening businesses and recreations activities, policymakers and residents should be mindful of the underlying health vulnerabilities and the higher COVID-19 mortality risk in several of NY’s rural counties. Is your county at high risk?

Covid-19 Cases Are Clustered In Large Urban Hubs, But Rural Areas Surrounding Those Hubs Are Also Increasingly Affected, Yue Sun

Population Health Research Brief Series

As COVID-19 continues to evolve, we are seeing more cases in urban areas, however, this data slice shows where trends are heading next.

Why Coronavirus Could Hit Rural Areas Harder, Shannon M. Monnat

Population Health Research Brief Series

As rates of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and death continue to rise, it is important to consider how rural areas may be differentially affected. Rural economies may also be affected in different ways than their urban counterparts, which has implications for long-term rural population health outcomes.

Introducing The L.A.U.N.C.H. Collaborative, F. Douglas Scutchfield Md, Kevin Patrick

Journal of Appalachian Health

The L.A.U.N.C.H. Collaborative: Linking & Amplifying User-Centered Networks through Connected Health: A Demonstration of Broadband-Enabled Connected Health and Community-Based Co-Design brings together a group of organizations that are eager to use Appalachian Kentucky as a site for the development of a project aimed at creating an environment that addresses two of the nation’s major concerns about cancer. First, individuals who live in rural and remote areas are more likely to die of cancer than those who live in urban or suburban settings. And second, geographic obstacles hinder their ability to access evidence-based strategies that can prevent cancer or treat it …

Formative Research And Community Resilience: A Case Of Under Addressed Youth Problem Gambling, Michea Caye

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The overarching research topic for this study is the issue of effectively engaging and informing community and government decision makers about health issues that can negatively impact a community's resilience. The question guiding this study is how can formative research engage and inform community and government decision makers about the under addressed issue of youth problem gambling (YPG) in Windham County, Vermont? The study has two aims: 1) to develop a formative research conceptual framework and evaluate its effectiveness in addressing the public health issue of youth problem gambling, and 2) to use the formative research methodology to develop a …

Impact Of Poor Quality Of Life On Adolescents In Rural Kentucky: A Brief Report, Hatim A. Omar, Søren Ventegodt, Joav Merrick

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

In many rural areas in Kentucky, adolescents lack the basic assets for a good quality of life, such as having caring adults, a safe place and useful activities after school. Methods: Analysis of data from middle and high school students referred to a comprehensive school based health promotion center (SBHPC). Results: From august 2006 to February 2008, a total of 382 students (200 female, 182 male, aged 12-18 years) were referred to the SBHPC for help. Only two (0.5%) students had two parents living with them and 12 (3.1%) had safe, organized after school activities. 19.9% of the total were …