Rural Health Archives - Health Behavior and Policy Review

The Wellbeing of Rural K-12 Educators: Applying PERMA in Rural Schools during the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Fast Track Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Benjamin C. Ingman, PhD
Elizabeth Anderson, PhD
Sandra Bertram Grant, MEd
Elaine S. Belansky, PhD

Objective:

In this paper we describe the status of wellbeing for school personnel in the 2021-22 school year through the PERMA framework and the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted dimensions of wellbeing.

Methods:

We administered the workplace wellbeing survey (a quantitative instrument based on PERMA) to school staff members in a rural/frontier region of a western state of the United States. Overall, 777 persons completed it, including 463 teachers from 23 school districts.

Results:

PERMA constructs of meaning and accomplishment were higher than other constructs and may serve as an anchor for wellbeing in education. Teachers showed lower levels of positive emotion, engagement, and accomplishment, when compared to nonteachers in schools. When compared with non-Hispanic personnel, Hispanic personnel had lower levels of wellbeing in the domain of relationships and reported a more severe adverse impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on both social and physical wellbeing.

Conclusions:

Adopting a more nuanced view of educator wellbeing, as defined by more than the mere absence of burnout and attrition is critical to fostering educational practices that promote the flourishing of school personnel.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/psp/hbpr/pre-prints/content-psp_hbpr_1124

Steven Rowe2024-05-31T09:58:23-06:00May 30th, 2024|COVID19, Rural Health, School Health|

Health and Social Service Needs of People who Inject Drugs Living in Rural Settings in the United States: A Qualitative Study

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

William Bull, MD
Cahit Kaya, PhD
Wajiha Z. Akhtar, PhD
Joshua Wilke, MD
Sarah Krechel, PhD
Randall Brown, MD
Ryan P. Westergaard, MD
David W. Seal, PhD

Objective:

Rural communities continue to be among the most severely affected by the opioid epidemic, showing some of the highest rates of overdose deaths and increasing rates of injection drug use. Lack of resources among other barriers contribute to the needs of this population going unmet. We assessed service needs among people who inject drugs (PWID) in rural regions, barriers to the implementation of these services, and optimal strategies to intervene with people who inject drugs, as well as to better link them to needed programs and services.

Methods:

We carried out thematic content analysis of 46 in-depth interviews with key respondents who worked with or had knowledge of the needs of PWID.

Results:

Respondents saw a need for increased access to services (eg, healthcare, harm reduction, addiction treatment), different treatment options, and education related to substance use as the most needed services among this population.

Conclusions:

Opioid use disorder interventions and initiatives must address these core service and education needs to best serve PWID. Increasing access to services in rural communities must be a priority for policymakers, local respondents, and healthcare providers.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 11, Number 1, February 2024
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.11.1.1

Steven Rowe2024-03-27T15:49:43-06:00February 4th, 2024|Opioid Use, Rural Health|

Provider Perceptions of Attitudes toward People who Inject Drugs and Treatment Services among Community Members, Service Providers, and Law Enforcement Officials

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A Fast Track Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Joshua Wilke, MD
Cahit Kaya, PhD
Wajiha Z. Akhtar, PhD
William Bull, MD
Sarah Krechel, MPH
Randall Brown, MD, PhD
Ryan P. Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH
David W. Seal, PhD

Objective:

People who inject drugs (PWIDs) often face stigma, leading to barriers in accessing healthcare and may contribute to negative health outcomes. The objective of this study was to understand and describe the manifestations of stigma toward PWIDs and their impact on the utilization of essential prevention services.

Methods:

We interviewed 44 persons knowledgeable about PWIDs’ healthcare needs. Interviews explored perceptions of the community, healthcare service providers, law enforcement attitudes toward PWIDs, and treatment services.

Results:

Respondents believed that the community generally has stigmatizing attitudes towards PWIDs; treatment program personnel and healthcare providers have less stigmatized attitudes but could benefit from more education and training on drug use and addiction.

Conclusions:

Education and training on stigma and its negative impact on the lives of PWIDs for K-12 students and for healthcare professionals (eg, treatment options, harm reduction strategies) might mitigate stigma toward PWIDs and improve access to services and outcomes.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.4.2

Steven Rowe2023-10-20T16:36:08-06:00August 28th, 2023|Health Education, Rural Health, Substance Use|

Parents’ Experiences with a School-based Dental Sealant Project in Central Appalachia: A Qualitative Study

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Sarah E. Raskin, PhD, MPH

Objective:

In this study, I describe parents’ experiences with a rural school-based dental sealant project (SBSP), a Healthy People 2020 objective for optimizing population-level protection against dental decay and reducing oral health disparities.

Methods:

I conducted parent interviews (N = 16) and coded them with NVivo 10, using deductive and inductive codes, from which I identified themes.

Results:

Parents enrolled children in the SBSP based on their confidence in local public institutions and the project’s convenience and accessibility. Parents did not understand the prevention orientation of the project, what services were offered or delivered, service limitations, or next steps, in particular their need to complete referrals to dentists. Parents’ recommendations for program improvement included strengthening communications and reviving a defunct dental public health mobile unit that had previously treated children’s existing dental problems.

Conclusion:

SBSPs should proactively identify and address family and contextual factors when planning and implementing projects. SBSPs should also strengthen case management capacity, collaborate with schools to bolster communications and message clarification, and be relieved of administrative and duplicate travel burdens that impede team members’ capacity to fulfill technical and case management-oriented duties, namely support the transition and maintenance of children into dental homes.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 7, Number 3, May 2020, pp. 215-222(8)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.7.3.6

Steven Rowe2023-05-15T15:02:31-06:00June 20th, 2020|Oral Health, Rural Health, School Health|