Positive Social Interaction and Hearing Loss in Older Adults Living in Rural and Urban Communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 61 (8) ◽  
pp. 2138-2145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia J. Hay-McCutcheon ◽  
Paul E. Reed ◽  
Spyridoula Cheimariou
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Positive Social Interaction ◽  
Ninth Edition

Purpose This study explored the extent to which hearing loss affected positive social interactions in older adults living in rural and urban communities. Method Pure-tone behavioral hearing assessments were administered to 80 adults 60 years of age or older. In addition, all participants completed 2 questionnaires, the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (Sherbourne & Stewart, 1991) and the Patient Health Questionnaire–Ninth Edition (Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, 2001). Results The preliminary findings suggested that adults with hearing loss living in rural towns had poorer positive social interactions compared with their urban counterparts with hearing loss. Also, adults with hearing loss living in rural towns had more symptoms of depression than adults with normal hearing who lived in these same geographical regions. Conclusions These preliminary findings could indicate that older adults with hearing loss living in rural communities will face more isolation than adults with hearing loss living in urban settings. Increasing our understanding of the extent of social isolation in adults with hearing loss living in rural and urban populations will be necessary.

35 Social Contact Mode and 15-Year Episodic Memory Trajectories in Older Adults with and Without Hearing Loss: the Elsa Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. i7-i11
Author(s):  
S Rafnsson ◽  
A Maharani ◽  
G Tampubolon
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Impaired Hearing ◽  
Contact Mode

Abstract Introduction Frequent social contact benefits cognition in later life although evidence is lacking on the potential importance of the modes chosen by older adults for interacting with others in their social network. Method 11,513 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) provided baseline information on hearing status and social contact mode and frequency of use. Multilevel growth curve models compared episodic memory (immediate and delayed recall) at baseline and long-term in participants who interacted frequently (offline only or offline and online combined), compared to infrequently, with others in their social network. Results Frequent offline (β = 0.29; p < 0.05) and combined offline and online (β = 0.76; p < 0.001) social interactions predicted better episodic memory after adjustment for multiple confounding factors. We observed positive long-term influences of combined offline and online interactions on memory in participants without hearing loss (β = 0.48, p = 0.001) but not of strictly offline interactions (β = 0.00, p = 0.970). In those with impaired hearing, long-term memory was positively influenced by both modes of engagement (offline only: β = 0.93, p < 0.001; combined online and offline: β = 1.47, p < 0.001). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Conclusion Supplementing conventional social interactions with online communication modes may help older adults, especially those living with hearing loss, sustain, and benefit cognitively from, personal relationships.

scholarly journals The reality of rurality : parent experiences with best start in two rural communities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerri Graham
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Systems Perspective ◽  
Parent Experiences ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Rural Service Delivery

Human services literature from a variety of disciplines demonstrates that rural and urban communities pose different challenges and opportunities for service delivery; however, little research specifically explores early learning and care service delivery in rural communities. This qualitative study draws on a critical ecological systems perspective to examine the experiences of rural parents accessing services through a specific service delivery strategy, Best Start networks. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data gathered from two rural communities as part of a larger study examining parent experiences with Best Start in three communities across Ontario (Underwood, Killoran, & Webster, 2010). Three themes emerged that related specifically to the rural experience: (a) Opportunities for Social Interaction; (b) Accessibility of Services; and, (c) Impact of Personal Relationships. Results indicate that certain factors related to rural life and location affected parents' experiences with Best Start services. Drawing on the broadly defined concept of accessibility, implications for rural service delivery are discussed and recommendations for practice and future research are presented.

Factors Affecting the Mental Health of older Adults in Rural and Urban Communities: An Exploration

2004 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phyllis McGee ◽  
Holly Tuokko ◽  
Penny Maccourt ◽  
Martha Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Rural And Urban

Rapid implementation of outpatient teleneurology in rural Appalachia: barriers and disparities

2020 ◽  
pp. 10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy E. Strowd ◽  
Lauren Strauss ◽  
Rachel Graham ◽  
Kristen Dodenhoff ◽  
Allysen Schreiber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Status ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
Rural Appalachia

ABSTRACTObjective:To describe rapid implementation of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and assess for disparities in video visit implementation in the Appalachian region of the United States.Methods:A retrospective cohort of consecutive patients seen in the first four weeks of telehealth implementation was identified from the Neurology Ambulatory Practice at a large academic medical center. Telehealth visits defaulted to video and when unable phone-only visits were scheduled. Patients were divided into two groups based on the telehealth visit type: video or phone-only. Clinical variables were collected from the electronic medical record including age, sex, race, insurance status, indication for visit, and rural-urban status. Barriers to scheduling video visits were collected at the time of scheduling. Patient satisfaction was obtained by structured post-visit telephone call.Results:Of 1011 telehealth patient-visits, 44% were video and 56% phone-only. Patients who completed a video visit were younger (39.7 vs 48.4 years, p<0.001), more likely to be female (63% vs 55%, p<0.007), be White or Caucasian (p=0.024), and not have Medicare or Medicaid insurance (p<0.001). The most common barrier to scheduling video visits was technology limitations (46%). While patients from rural and urban communities were equally likely to be scheduled for video visits, patients from rural communities were more likely to consider future telehealth visits (55% vs 42%, p=0.05).Conclusion:Rapid implementation of ambulatory telemedicine defaulting to video visits successfully expanded video telehealth. Emerging disparities were revealed, as older, male, black patients with Medicare or Medicaid insurance were less likely to adopt video visits.

scholarly journals Community stakeholders' perceptions of crime and victimization: A mixed-methods approach to understanding collective efficacy and social cohesion in the rural heartland

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-115
Author(s):  
Ashley Lockwood ◽  
April Terry
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Collective Efficacy ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Neighborhoods ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Rural And Urban

Previous criminological literature has mostly neglected rural communities, often treating these places as smaller pieces of urban culture. Literature suggests rural communities operate differently than urban neighborhoods, with distinctive values, norms, and community cohesion. For example, concepts surrounding collective efficacy may work counterproductively in rural areas—further exploiting outed community members within "close-knit" environments. The current study sought to compare perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion, crime, and victimization between rural and urban counties across one Midwestern rural state. Using a mixed-methods approach, community stakeholders from a variety of professions were surveyed. Quantitative results suggest similar perceptions of collective efficacy and social cohesion in rural and urban communities while qualitative responses paint a much different picture—an image of rural communities "minding their own business" and both formally and informally intervening only in the most extreme and personalized scenarios.

scholarly journals Rural and Urban Differences in Household Food Insecurity and Diet Diversity of Preschool Children (PSC) in Occidental Mindoro

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Leonard G. Dela Luna ◽  
Ernani R. Bullecer
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Rural And Urban

Objective. Rural and urban differences affect food availability, accessibility, and sustainability; thus, it has a greatimpact on household food security and dietary diversity. The relationship between the human environment andother factors threatens different domains of food systems resulting in food security. The objective of this study isto determine significant differences between the prevalence of household food security and diet diversity betweenurban and rural communities in Occidental Mindoro. Specifically, to determine the pattern of usual food intake ofpreschool children between rural and urban communities Methods. This study utilized a comparative, cross-sectional, analytic study design in order to determine theprevalence of each variable of interest in the two study areas. Radimer-Cornell Tool was utilized to assess the foodsecurity status of the household while the FAO-Dietary Diversity Score Questionnaire was used to the diversityof diet among PSC. A total of 480 (rural: n=240; urban: n=240) preschool children were recruited to participatein this study. Ratio and proportion using the point and interval estimate were used to determine the prevalencein different areas, meanwhile, chi-square of homogeneity was used to determine significant difference in the twoareas under study. Results. Food insecurity in rural communities was found to be at 56.25% (95% CI: 49.97% to 62.53%) while theprevalence in urban communities was 45.83% (95% CI: 39.53% to 52.14%). There was a significant differencein the prevalence of household food insecurity between rural and urban communities (p=0.0224). Meanwhile,the prevalence of less dietary diversity among preschool children in rural communities was 37.08% (95%: 30.97%to 43.19%) and 26.25% (CI: 20.68% to 31.82%) for urban communities. There was a significant differencein prevalence of low dietary diversity score among preschool children between rural and urban communities(p=0.0107). Conclusion. There were significant differences in terms of household food insecurity and less diverse dietbetween two community settings. Higher prevalence in rural areas signifies that there is a need to prioritize thesevulnerable communities in terms of hunger mitigation and nutrition programs. A combination of milk-rice-meat-fishwas observed in the diet of preschool children for both communities however, higher prevalence of less dietarydiversity was detected among rural communities.

scholarly journals Translating Urban Walkability Initiatives for Older Adults in Rural and Under-Resourced Communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Klann ◽  
Linh Vu ◽  
Mollie Ewing ◽  
Mark Fenton ◽  
Rachele Pojednic
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Neighborhood Walkability ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
Resource Limited

The built environment can promote physical activity in older adults by increasing neighborhood walkability. While efforts to increase walkability are common in urban communities, there is limited data related to effective implementation in rural communities. This is problematic, as older adults make up a significant portion of rural inhabitants and exhibit lower levels of physical activity. Translating lessons from urban strategies may be necessary to address this disparity. This review examines best practices from urban initiatives that can be implemented in rural, resource-limited communities. The review of the literature revealed that simple, built environment approaches to increase walkability include microscale and pop-up infrastructure, municipal parks, and community gardens, which can also increase physical activity in neighborhoods for urban older adults. These simple and cost-effective strategies suggest great potential for rural communities.

scholarly journals When Telestroke Programs Work, Hospital Size Really Does Not Matter

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 403-406
Author(s):  
Krishna Nalleballe ◽  
Nidhi Kapoor ◽  
Aliza Brown ◽  
Rohan Sharma ◽  
Sen Sheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
P Value ◽  
Hospital Size ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mock Codes

Abstract Background There are still marked disparities in stroke care between rural and urban communities including difference in stroke-related mortality. We analyzed the efficiency of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) delivery in the spoke sites in our telestroke network to assess impact of telecare in bridging these disparities. Methods We analyzed critical time targets in our telestroke network. These included door-to-needle (DTN) time, door-to-CT (D2CT) time, door-to-call center, door-to-neurocall, and total consult time. We compared these time targets between the larger and smaller spoke hospitals. Results Across all the 52 spokes sites, a total of 825 stroke consults received intravenous tPA. When compared with larger hospitals (>200 beds), the smaller hospital groups with 0 to 25 and 51 to 100 beds had significantly lower D2CT time (p-value 0.01 and 0.005, respectively) and the ones with 26 to 50 and 151 to 200 beds had significantly lower consult time (p-value 0.009 and 0.001, respectively). There was no significant difference in the overall DTN time when all the smaller hospital groups were compared with larger hospitals. Conclusion In our telestroke network, DTN times were not significantly affected by the hospital bed size. This shows that a protocol-driven telestroke network with frequent mock codes can ensure timely administration of tPA even in rural communities regardless of the hospital size and availability of local neurologists.

scholarly journals Social Contact Mode and 15-Year Episodic Memory Trajectories in Older Adults With and Without Hearing Loss: Findings From the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Snorri Bjorn Rafnsson ◽  
Asri Maharani ◽  
Gindo Tampubolon
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Contact Mode ◽  
English Longitudinal Study

Abstract Objectives Frequent social contact benefits cognition in later life although evidence is lacking on the potential relevance of the modes chosen by older adults, including those living with hearing loss, for interacting with others in their social network. Method 11,418 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing provided baseline information on hearing status and social contact mode and frequency of use. Multilevel growth curve models compared episodic memory (immediate and delayed recall) at baseline and longitudinally in participants who interacted frequently (offline only or offline and online combined), compared to infrequently, with others in their social network. Results Frequent offline (B = 0.23; SE = 0.09) and combined offline and online (B = 0.71; SE = 0.09) social interactions predicted better episodic memory after adjustment for multiple confounders. We observed positive, longitudinal associations between combined offline and online interactions and episodic memory in participants without hearing loss (B = 0.50, SE = 0.11) but not with strictly offline interactions (B = 0.01, SE = 0.11). In those with hearing loss, episodic memory was positively related to both modes of engagement (offline only: B = 0.79, SE = 0.20; combined online and offline: B = 1.27, SE = 0.20). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings. Discussion Supplementing conventional social interactions with online communication modes may help older adults, especially those living with hearing loss, sustain, and benefit cognitively from, personal relationships.

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