Journal of rural social sciences最新文献

This special issue of the Journal of Rural Social Sciences (JRSS) focuses on rural population health and aging. It showcases the work of scholars from several backgrounds and social science disciplines to advance knowledge in a critical field of investigation. Assembled through an open call for submissions coordinated through the National Institute on Aging (NIA) funded Interdisciplinary Network on Rural Population Health and Aging (INRPHA), the collection of articles helps inform a more nuanced understanding of the factors associated with rural places, which often have different health outcomes and aging patterns than their urban counterparts. The authors achieve this through application of innovative analytical strategies used with a combination of data sources. This introductory essay provides background and an overview of the four articles, followed by discussion of future opportunities to advance an agenda for rural population health and aging research.

Adult children are a primary source of care for their aging parents. Parents in rural areas, however, live further from their adult children than parents in urban areas, potentially limiting the support they receive and compromising their health and ability to age in place. We use two waves of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (2013 and 2017) to investigate the relationships among geographic proximity, adult children's instrumental and financial support, and parental health. Rural parents live further from their adult children and receive less financial support, but they are more likely to receive instrumental assistance. In addition, rural parents have worse health and more functional limitations than urban parents, and these differences persist after controlling for proximity to and support from adult children. Our findings indicate that factors beyond proximity influence the complex relationships between spatial and social boundaries and their consequences for older adults' health and well-being.

Aging and disability services are essential for supporting older adults in living independently in their homes and communities as they age. Applying theoretical perspectives of community gerontology and spatial inequality, we use county-level data (N=3142) from the National Neighborhood Data Archive (NaNDA) and the American Community Survey to explore if and how availability of aging and disability services organizations varies across the rural-urban continuum and across compositional characteristics of counties. Results show that rural counties are significantly more likely to be aging and disability services deserts. Stratified models show that poverty rates and relative shares of non-Hispanic Blacks are positively associated with greater odds of aging and disability services deserts across rural and urban counties, but divergent findings appear for county-level shares of Hispanics. These findings are discussed as well as implications for research, policy, and practice on equitable access to aging and disability services.

This paper contributes to research on health disparities among rural and urban residents by considering differences in the magnitude of genetic associations for physical health, mental health, and health behaviors across the two settings. Previous research has shown reduced genetic associations in rural compared to urban settings but none have utilized current genome-wide polygenic scores and none have focused on older adults. Using a sample of 14,994 adults from the 1992 to 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study our results suggest genetic associations for BMI (p<.018) and heart conditions (p < .023) are significantly reduced in rural compared to urban settings and we find weak evidence in support of this association for depression (p. < .065) and no evidence for smoking (p < 461). In sum, the weaker genetic associations in rural areas highlights the centrality of the social, economic, and built environment as a determinant of disparities.

The majority of rural Appalachian women in jail meet criteria for a drug use disorder and need treatment. Using a latent profile analysis of a random sample of rural women in Appalachian jails (N=400), the current study established groups of women based on criminal history, drug use in the commission of crimes, and role of the partner's drug use in the commission of crimes. Analysis found five distinct profiles of rural women based on involvement of criminal activities as a function of drug use severity. Results suggest that among criminally involved rural women, severity of drug use is a critical factor in the criminal career. Findings can be used to better inform treatment approaches and tailor treatment to meet the needs of this vulnerable population.

The Amish are an endogamous rural population experiencing rapid growth; consequently, they have attracted the attention of population health researchers and service providers. With approximately one quarter of all Amish studies publications now devoted to population health (n=246), the time is ripe to review research trends. Using bibliometric measures, we map the genealogy, influence, and configuration of Amish health publications. Amish population health research has (1) a health culture-focused core with clusters representing social science and health practice, (2) peripheral clusters addressing health conditions-mental, physical, and injury/safety-and (3) several clusters straddling both. We identify fruitful interdisciplinary studies and recommend researchers investigating health culture and conditions seek ways to integrate their research agendas. This article represents a pivot-point for Amish population health research, for it provides a first-ever bibliometric mapping, allowing researchers to more easily locate their work within the literature and identify opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations.

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a free, easily accessible screener ideal for rural areas where resources are limited. We examined administration and scoring by Veteran Community Outreach Health Workers (VCOHWs); compared positive screening rates using two cutoff scores; and examined predictors of education-adjusted scores in N = 168 rural military Veterans from the Alabama Veteran Rural Health Initiative. Accuracy of administration (95 percent) and scoring (68 percent) was calculated and recommendations are offered. Higher than expected rates of positive screens were observed (40 percent using 24/30 cutoff) in this relatively young (M = 55 years) community-dwelling sample. Age, education, and race but not subjective health predicted differences in domain and total education-adjusted scores on multivariate and univariate tests. This study advances social science research in rural communities by being the first to: (1) examine MoCA scores in a rural, Deep South U.S. sample; and (2) report fidelity administration data for VCOHWs.

Latino combat soldiers report both higher prevalence and greater overall severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than non-Hispanic Caucasians. However, these veterans face unique social and cultural barriers to accessing treatment for PTSD that distinguish them from their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Latino veterans who reside in rural settings face additional socio-cultural and structural impediments, in that they are likely to reside far from VA (Veterans Administration) medical facilities, have limited access to public transportation, and hold more conservative views toward mental health treatment than those residing in urban locales. However, little is known about the unique individual, sociocultural, and structural barriers to treatment faced by rural Latino veterans. This paper synthesizes the separate mental health and treatment-seeking literatures pertaining to Latinos, rural populations, and veterans, with the goal of identifying fruitful areas of conceptual overlap, and providing direction for future theory building, research, and targeted interventions.