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

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...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Preventive medicine 2023-08, Vol.173, p.107588-107588, Article 107588
Main Authors: Moss, Jennifer L., Hearn, Madison, Cuffee, Yendelela L., Wardecker, Britney M., Kitt-Lewis, Erin, Pinto, Casey N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Health status
Healthcare access
Older adults
Rural health
Social cohesion
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary: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 
ISSN:0091-7435
1096-0260
DOI:10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107588