The role of social cohesion in explaining rural/urban differences in healthcare access and health status among older adults in the mid-Atlantic United States.

Autor: Moss JL; Penn State College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, United States of America. Electronic address: jmoss1@pennstatehealth.psu.edu., Hearn M; Penn State College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, United States of America., Cuffee YL; College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States of America., Wardecker BM; Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America., Kitt-Lewis E; Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America., Pinto CN; Penn State College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, United States of America.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Preventive medicine [Prev Med] 2023 Aug; Vol. 173, pp. 107588. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Jun 27.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107588
Abstrakt: Social cohesion can influence health. It is higher among rural versus urban residents, but the burden of chronic disease is higher in rural communities. We examined the role of social cohesion in explaining rural/urban differences in healthcare access and health status. Rural (n = 1080) and urban (n = 1846) adults (ages 50+) from seven mid-Atlantic U.S. states completed an online, cross-sectional survey on social cohesion and health. We conducted bivariate and multivariable analyses to evaluate the relationships of rurality and social cohesion with healthcare access and health status. Rural participants had higher social cohesion scores than did urban participants (rural: mean = 61.7, standard error[SE] = 0.40; urban: mean = 60.6, SE = 0.35; adjusted beta = 1.45, SE = 0.54, p < .01). Higher social cohesion was associated with greater healthcare access: last-year check-up: adjusted odds ratio[aOR] = 1.25, 95% confidence interval[CI] = 1.17-1.33; having a personal provider: aOR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.03-1.18; and being up-to-date with CRC screening: aOR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.10-1.25. In addition, higher social cohesion was associated with improved health status: higher mental health scores (adjusted beta = 1.03, SE = 0.15, p < .001) and lower body mass index (BMI; beta = -0.26, SE = 0.10, p = .01). Compared to urban participants, rural participants were less likely to have a personal provider, had lower physical and mental health scores, and had higher BMI. Paradoxically, rural residents had higher social cohesion but generally poorer health outcomes than did urban residents, even though higher social cohesion is associated with better health. These findings have implications for research and policy to promote social cohesion and health, particularly for health promotion interventions to reduce disparities experienced by rural residents.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no real or perceived conflicts of interest to disclose.
(Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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