As poverty, food insecurity, inadequate housing, and complex comorbidities persist, it is essential that rural healthcare leaders have tools and systems in place to address the health of their neighbors.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) have more influence on health than either genetic factors or access to healthcare services, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a registered nurse with two decades in the field, I’ve seen the impact social factors have on a patient’s health. I’ve grown up and worked in rural America most of my life and have seen the faces of these statistics first-hand.
The CDC states poverty, which affects one in 10 Americans, is strongly correlated with worse health outcomes and premature death. Poverty is magnified in rural America and affect racial minorities at vastly high rates due to historic, systemic inequities. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service reports that rural Black Americans experience poverty rates of nearly 31% compared to rural White Americans with poverty rates of about 13%.
Have more mobility news that we should be reading and sharing? Let us know! Reach out to Sage Kashner (kashner@ctaa.org).
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