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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social connectedness

Native American Agriculture and Food Systems: Challenges and Opportunities Presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines impacts of COVID-19 on Native American food systems. Analyzes 401 survey responses from Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) members, such as food producers, tribal leaders, and grocers. Discusses food systems issues such as limited storage capacity, shipment logistics, increased hunger and demand on social support programs, and cessation of food programs during COVID-19.
Author(s): Megan Mucioki, Elizabeth Hoover, Jennifer Sowerwine, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11(3), 121-137
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Intertribal Agriculture Council
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Veteran Mobility and COVID-19
Examines veterans living in rural areas and how their mobility options, cost of transportation, use of telehealth, access to healthy food, and social isolation have been impacted by COVID-19. Discusses issues and policies related to improving healthcare transportation and access to Veterans Administration (VA) services for rural veterans. Includes data on veteran demographics and survey responses to health- and transportation-related questions.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Video Summary
Author(s): Del Peterson, Jill Hough, Antonio Molina
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organizations: North Dakota State University, Small Urban and Rural Center on Mobility, Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Assessing Factors Associated with Social Connectedness in Adults with Mobility Disabilities
Examines social connectedness among people with mobility disabilities using National Survey on Health and Disability data from October 2019 to January 2020. Identifies factors associated with social activity, social isolation, and loneliness among people with mobility disabilities, and makes comparisons among people with mobility disabilities and non-mobility disabilities. Includes comparisons of rural and urban populations.
Author(s): Jean P. Hall, Noelle K. Kurth, Kelsey S. Goddard
Citation: Disability and Health Journal, 15(1) Suppl., 101206
Date: 01/2022
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Strengths and Stressors in Region XI Head Start: The Role of Social Support and Economic Condition in the Well-Being of Children and Families from AIAN FACES 2019
Report examining the effects of social support and economic conditions on family well-being for American Indian and Alaska Native communities based on data from the 2019 American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES). Provides data on cultural activities, food and housing, parental material hardships, supports, and income and discusses family well-being in relation to child physical and behavioral health.
Author(s): Sara Bernstein, Katie Gonzalez, Sharika Rakibullah, Lizabeth Malone, Jeffrey Harrington
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: ACF Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, Mathematica
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Examining Barriers and Facilitators to Palliative Care Access in Rural Areas: A Scoping Review
Presents findings from a review of 28 peer-reviewed studies regarding barriers and facilitators to access to palliative care in rural areas. Covers perspectives from patients, families, and providers.
Author(s): Yun Cai, Nasreen Lalani
Citation: American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 39(1), 123-130
Date: 2022
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Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Rural and Urban People with Disabilities
Explores the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness among people with disabilities. Examines data from the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) as well as the National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) to identify factors associated with social isolation and loneliness, including living in a rural location and transportation problems.
Author(s): Catherine Ipsen, Gilbert Gimm
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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Psychosocial Predictors of Adverse Outcomes in Rural Heart Failure Caregivers
Results of a study of 114 rural and 426 urban caregivers in the southeastern United States, to examine whether social support, problem solving, and family function affected burden in caregivers of individuals with heart failure. Features demographic statistics and descriptive differences with breakdowns between urban and rural caregivers.
Author(s): Joan S. Grant, Lucinda J. Graven, Glenna Schluck, Laurie Abbott
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 21(3), 6497
Date: 07/2021
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Demographics and Disability Status of Adults Living Alone in Rural Areas
Policy brief examining differences in age and disability status of people who live alone in rural and urban areas. Describes health impacts of living alone and explores American Community Survey (ACS) data from 2014-2018 to represent demographic characteristics and prevalence of disabilities for rural and urban adults living alone.
Author(s): Jonathan Schroeder, Carrie Henning-Smith, Mariana Tuttle
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Looking at the Rural Homelessness Experience: Definitions, Data, and Solutions
Explains how homelessness impacts health. Features a Vermont organization's work using the evidence-based Housing First model to help people with mental health and substance use challenges and others who lack social supports and have housing needs.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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An Analysis of Suicide Risk Factors among Farmers in the Midwestern United States
Study examining psychological, social, and contextual risk factors for suicide among farmers. Draws data from 600 surveys of agricultural producers in Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and South Dakota. Discusses rates of depression, anxiety, farming-specific stressors, social support, and coping strategies.
Author(s): Andrea Bjornestad, Courtney Cuthbertson, Jessie Hendricks
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3563
Date: 03/2021
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