scholarly journals Demographic and Disease Characteristics of People With Multiple Sclerosis Living in Urban and Rural Areas

2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Buchanan ◽  
Randolph Schiffer ◽  
Alexa Stuifbergen ◽  
Li Zhu ◽  
Suojin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Primary Progressive ◽  
Disease Characteristics ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Disease Modifying ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

This study compares demographic and disease-related characteristics of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in urban and rural areas. The data analyzed for this study were collected from a survey of 1518 people with MS living throughout the United States from October 2004 through January 2005. We found significant urban-rural differences in various MS characteristics, including type of MS. A significantly larger proportion of people with MS in remote rural areas than their urban counterparts responded that they had primary progressive MS. People with MS in rural areas were significantly more likely than those in urban areas to report that MS symptoms interfered with their independence. A significantly larger proportion of people with MS in remote rural areas than in urban areas were not receiving disease-modifying medications. Our results suggest that MS disease expression varies across urban-rural gradients. Although the findings are not definitive, we hope that other investigative groups will build on these results and work toward confirming and understanding them.

scholarly journals PM2.5 polluters disproportionately and systemically affect people of color in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (18) ◽  
pp. eabf4491
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Tessum ◽  
David A. Paolella ◽  
Sarah E. Chambliss ◽  
Joshua S. Apte ◽  
Jason D. Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
People Of Color ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Particulate Air Pollution ◽  
Fine Particulate ◽  
Exposure Levels ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Racial-ethnic minorities in the United States are exposed to disproportionately high levels of ambient fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5), the largest environmental cause of human mortality. However, it is unknown which emission sources drive this disparity and whether differences exist by emission sector, geography, or demographics. Quantifying the PM2.5 exposure caused by each emitter type, we show that nearly all major emission categories—consistently across states, urban and rural areas, income levels, and exposure levels—contribute to the systemic PM2.5 exposure disparity experienced by people of color. We identify the most inequitable emission source types by state and city, thereby highlighting potential opportunities for addressing this persistent environmental inequity.

The Rural-Urban Continuum of Polarization: Understanding the Geography of the 2018 Midterms

The Forum ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth M. Johnson ◽  
Dante J. Scala
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Political Attitudes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rural America ◽  
Rural Regions ◽  
Urban America ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Continuum

Abstract This study of the 2018 congressional midterms demonstrates how voting patterns and political attitudes vary across a spectrum of urban and rural areas in the United States. Rural America is no more a monolith than is urban America. The rural-urban gradient is better represented by a continuum than a dichotomy. This is evident in the voting results in 2018, just as it was in 2016. We found that the political tipping point lies beyond major metropolitan areas, in the suburban counties of smaller metropolitan areas. Democrats enjoyed even greater success in densely populated urban areas in 2018 than in 2016. Residents of these urban areas display distinctive and consistent social and political attitudes across a range of scales. At the other end of the continuum in remote rural areas, Republican candidates continued to command voter support despite the challenging national political environment. Voters in these rural regions expressed social and political attitudes diametrically opposed to their counterparts in large urban cores.

scholarly journals Decomposing Urban-rural Differences in Multimorbidity Among Older Adults in India: A Study Based on Lasi Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shekhar Chauhan ◽  
Shobhit Srivast ◽  
Pradeep Kumar ◽  
Ratna Patel
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Decomposition Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Ageing Study ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Abstract Background: Multimorbidity is defined as the co-occurrence of two or more than two diseases in the same person. With rising longevity, multimorbidity has become a prominent concern among the older population. Evidence from both developed and developing countries shows that older people are at much higher risk of multimorbidity, however, urban-rural differential remained scarce. Therefore, this study examines urban-rural differential in multimorbidity among older adults by decomposing the risk factors of multimorbidity and identifying the covariates that contributed to the change in multimorbidity.Methods: The study utilized information from 31,464 older adults (rural-20,725 and urban-10,739) aged 60 years and above from the recent release of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) wave 1 data. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate decomposition analysis techniques were used.Results: Overall, significant urban-rural differences were found in the prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults (difference: 16.3; p<0.001). Moreover, obese/overweight and high-risk waist circumference were found to narrow the difference in the prevalence of multimorbidity among older adults between urban and rural areas by 8% and 9.1%, respectively.Conclusion: There is a need to substantially increase the public sector investment in healthcare to address the multimorbidity among older adults, more so in urban areas, without compromising the needs of older adults in rural areas.

scholarly journals Urban-rural differences in the prevalence of muscle weakness and slow gait speed: A cross-sectional analysis from the NHANES (2001-2002 and 2011-2014)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
J.J. Aziz ◽  
K.F. Reid ◽  
J.A. Batsis ◽  
R.A. Fielding
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Muscle Weakness ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Comorbidity Burden ◽  
Urban Rural

Background: Older adults living in rural areas suffer from health inequities compared to their urban counterparts. These include comorbidity burden, poor diet, and physical inactivity, which are also risk factors for sarcopenia, for which muscle weakness and slow gait speed are domains. To date, no study has examined urban-rural differences in the prevalence of muscle weakness and slow gait speed in older adults living in the United States. Objective: To compare the prevalence of grip strength weakness and slow gait speed between urban and rural older adults living in the United States. Design: A cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of two cohorts from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using gait speed or grip strength data, and urban-rural residency, dietary, examination, questionnaire and demographic data. Participants: 2,923 adults (≥ 60 yrs.). Measures: Grip weakness was defined as either, an absolute grip strength of <35 kg. and <20 kg. or grip strength divided by body mass index (GripBMI) of <1.05 and <0.79 for men and women, respectively. Slow gait speed was defined as a usual gait speed of ≤0.8m/s. Results: The prevalence of GripBMI weakness was significantly higher in urban compared to rural participants (27.4% vs. 19.2%; p=0.001), whereas their absolute grip strength was lower (31.75(±0.45) vs. 33.73(±0.48)). No urban-rural differences in gait speed were observed. Conclusions: Older adults residing in urban regions of the United States were weaker compared to their rural counterparts. This report is the first to describe urban-rural differences in handgrip strength and slow gait speed in older adults living in the United States.

scholarly journals Does living in an urban environment confer advantages for childhood nutritional status? Analysis of disparities in nutritional status by wealth and residence in Angola, Central African Republic and Senegal

2006 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina Kennedy ◽  
Guy Nantel ◽  
Inge D Brouwer ◽  
Frans J Kok
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Central African Republic ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Poor Children

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between childhood undernutrition and poverty in urban and rural areas.DesignAnthropometric and socio-economic data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in Angola-Secured Territory (Angola ST), Central African Republic and Senegal were used in this analysis. The population considered in this study is children 0–59 months, whose records include complete anthropometric data on height, weight, age, gender, socio-economic level and urban or rural area of residence. In addition to simple urban/rural comparisons, the population was stratified using a wealth index based on living conditions and asset ownership to compare the prevalence, mean Z-score and odds ratios for stunting and wasting.ResultsIn all cases, when using a simple urban/rural comparison, the prevalence of stunting was significantly higher in rural areas. However, when the urban and rural populations were stratified using a measure of wealth, the differences in prevalence of stunting and underweight in urban and rural areas of Angola ST, Central African Republic and Senegal disappeared. Poor children in these urban areas were just as likely to be stunted or underweight as poor children living in rural areas. The odds ratio of stunting in the poorest compared with the richest quintile was 3.4, 3.2 and 1.5 in Angola ST, Senegal and Central African Republic, respectively.ConclusionsThis paper demonstrates that simple urban/rural comparisons mask wide disparities in subgroups according to wealth. There is a strong relationship between poverty and chronic undernutrition in both urban and rural areas; this relationship does not change simply by living in an urban environment. However, urban and rural living conditions and lifestyles differ, and it is important to consider these differences when designing programmes and policies to address undernutrition.

Atmospheric Particulate Carbon Observations in Urban and Rural Areas of the United States

1982 ◽  
pp. 343-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. Mueller ◽  
K. K. Fung ◽  
S. L. Heisler ◽  
D. Grosjean ◽  
G. M. Hidy
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Particulate Carbon ◽  
Atmospheric Particulate ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas
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