Presentation Abstract

Title: Social Determinants of Health and Rural Communities

Prevailing evidence suggests that the circumstances in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age and the systems put in place to address illness, powerfully predict who gets sick, who lives longer, and who lives a higher quality of life. Disparities in health outcomes are further linked to geographic and demographic differences. Relative to residents of urban communities, persons living in rural communities have worse health outcomes (e.g., higher rates of chronic disease, lower disability-adjusted life-years, higher mortality). These differences are largely attributable to four primary health factors: higher risk behaviors, less access to clinical care, worse social and economic factors, and physical environments that are less supportive of healthy lifestyles. Further, among rural residents, racial/ethnic minorities generally self-report poorer health, higher mental distress, multiple chronic diseases, less health care access, higher obesity rates, and are less likely to have a personal healthcare provider than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. This talk describes some of the unique socio-contextual impediments and barriers (including the intersection of race/ethnicity and geography) that might explain the underutilization of evidence-based preventive services among residents of rural communities. Current gaps in the literature related to better understanding and addressing these disparities and recommendations for future directions will be discussed.

About Dr. Baskin

Monica L. Baskin is Professor of Preventive Medicine and Vice Chair for Culture and Diversity in the Department of Medicine at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine and is the Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB. Dr. Baskin received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology from Emory University, and a Master of Science in community counseling and her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Georgia State University. She is a licensed psychologist whose research focuses on minority health and health disparities.

Dr. Baskin’s research utilizes community-based participatory methods to better understand and address individual, family, and environmental factors associated with healthy eating, physical activity, obesity, and cancer prevention and control. This work has been funded by multiple Institutes of the NIH, including the National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In addition, Dr. Baskin is part of the inaugural cohort of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders program and serves in multiple local and national leadership roles focused on advancing health equity. She is also President-Elect of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

Dr. Baskin did not disclose any conflicts of interest for this workshop.