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Rural Locations (rural + locations)
Selected AbstractsBridging the Social and Digital Divides in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala: A Capabilities ApproachDEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE, Issue 3 2008Jayan Jose Thomas ABSTRACT Combining empirical evidence with Amartya Sen's concept of capabilities, this article argues that the digital divide is not merely a problem of access to ICTs. It is part of a larger developmental problem in which vast sections of the world's population are deprived of the capabilities to use ICTs, acquire information and convert information into useful knowledge. Fieldwork research including sample surveys conducted in rural locations in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh in India shows that these capabilities can only be created through large-scale complementary interventions in economic and social development. [source] Indoor/outdoor relationships of carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen in domestic homes with roadside, urban and rural locations in a central Indian regionINDOOR AIR, Issue 2 2005A. J. Lawrence First page of article [source] Pneumonia and Influenza Hospitalizations in Elderly People with DementiaJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2009Elena N. Naumova PhD OBJECTIVES: To compare the demographic and geographic patterns of pneumonia and influenza (P&I) hospitalizations in older adults with dementia with those of the U.S. population and to examine the relationship between healthcare accessibility and P&I. DESIGN: Observational study using historical medical claims from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and CMS records supplemented with information derived from other large national sources. SETTING: Retrospective analysis of medical records uniformly collected over a 5-year period with comprehensive national coverage. PARTICIPANTS: A study population representative of more than 95% of all people aged 65 and older residing in the continental United States. MEASUREMENTS: Six million two hundred seventy-seven thousand six hundred eighty-four records of P&I between 1998 and 2002 were abstracted, and county-specific outcomes for hospitalization rates of P&I, mean length of hospital stay, and percentage of deaths occurring in a hospital setting were estimated. Associations with county-specific elderly population density, percentage of nursing home residents, median household income per capita, and rurality index were assessed. RESULTS: Rural and poor counties had the highest rate of P&I and percentage of influenza. Patients with dementia had a lower frequency of influenza diagnosis, a shorter length of hospital stay, and 1.5 times as high a rate of death as the national average. CONCLUSION: The results suggest strong disparities in healthcare practices in rural locations and vulnerable populations; infrastructure, proximity, and access to healthcare are significant predictors of influenza morbidity and mortality. These findings have important implications for influenza vaccination, testing, and treatment policies and practices targeting the growing fraction of patients with cognitive impairment. [source] The Nocturnal Ovipositing Behavior of Carrion Flies in Cincinnati, OhioJOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 6 2009Trevor Stamper Ph.D. Abstract:, The behavioral patterns of nocturnal oviposition represent a window of time that potentially has a large impact on postmortem interval estimations. We investigated the behavioral patterns of carrion flies at night by exposing euthanized rats between sunset and sunrise to see if carrion flies oviposited upon the carrion over two consecutive summers. We investigated urban and rural locations, in both lit and unlit conditions with n = 125. We found that nocturnal ovipositing did not occur in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. We conclude that nocturnal oviposition is an unlikely event in the Cincinnati metropolitan area. [source] All-Terrain Vehicle Safety and Use Patterns in Central Illinois YouthTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2010John W. Hafner MD Abstract Context: All-terrain vehicles' (ATVs) popularity and associated injuries among children are increasing in the United States. Currently, most known ATV use pattern data are obtained from injured youth and little documented data exist characterizing the typical ATV use patterns and safety practices among American children in general. Purpose: To describe the typical ATV safety and use patterns of rural youth. Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous mail survey was conducted of youth participants (ages 8-18) in the 4-H Club of America in four Central Illinois counties. Questions examined ATV use patterns, safety knowledge, safety equipment usage, crashes, and injuries. Findings: Of 1,850 mailed surveys, 634 were returned (34% response rate) with 280 surveys (44% of respondents) eligible for analysis. Respondents were principally adolescent males from farms or rural locations. Most drove ,1 day per week (60.2%) and used ATVs for recreation (36%) or work (22.6%) on farms and/or private property (53.4%). Most never used safety gear, including helmets (61.4%), and few (14.6%) had received safety education. Of the 67% who experienced an ATV crash, almost half (44%) were injured. Children with safety training had fewer crashes (P= .01), and those riding after dark (P= .13) or without adult supervision (P= .042) were more likely injured. Conclusions: ATV use is common in a rural 4-H population. Most child ATV users were adolescent boys, had little safety training and did not use safety equipment or helmets. ATV injury prevention efforts should focus on these areas. [source] A National Study of Obesity Prevalence and Trends by Type of Rural CountyTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2005J. Elizabeth Jackson MA ABSTRACT: Context: Obesity is epidemic in the United States, but information on this trend by type of rural locale is limited. Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of and recent trends in obesity among US adults residing in rural locations. Methods: Analysis of data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the years 1994,1996 (n = 342,055) and 2000,2001 (n = 385,384). The main outcome measure was obesity (body mass index [BMI] ,30), as determined by calculating BMI from respondents' self-reported height and weight. Results: In 2000,2001, the prevalence of obesity was 23.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 22.6%-23.4%) for rural adults and 20.5% (95% CI 20.2%-20.7%) for their urban counterparts, representing increases of 4.8% (95% CI 4.2%-5.3%) and 5.5% (95% CI 5.1%-5.9%), respectively, since 1994,1996. The highest obesity prevalence occurred in rural counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas; obesity prevalence increased for rural residents in all states but Florida over the study period. African Americans had the highest obesity prevalence of any group, up to 31.4% (95% CI 29.1%-33.6) in rural counties adjacent to urban counties. The largest difference in obesity prevalence between those with a college education compared with those without a high school diploma occurred in urban areas (18.4% [95% CI 17.9%-18.9%] vs 23.5% [95% CI 22.5%-24.5%], respectively); the smallest difference occurred in small, remote rural counties (20.3% [95% CI 18.7%-21.9%] versus 22.3% [95% CI 20.7%-24.0%], respectively). Conclusions: The prevalence of obesity is higher in rural counties than in urban counties; obesity affects some residents of rural counties disproportionately. [source] Student attitudes to surgical teaching in provincial hospitalsAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2003Martin H. Bruening ABSTRACT Objective:The ever-increasing pressure on metropolitan teaching hospitals to rationalise budgets and increase productivity has resulted in a dwindling amount of teaching opportunity for the medical student population. One solution to the problem was to utilise a largely untapped resource in South Australia, namely the provincial hospitals, however, student opinion regarding such a radical change had yet to be determined. Design:A questionnaire was circulated among an entire year group of medical students who would be undertaking the revised surgical curriculum with rural attachments. Setting:In October 1997, a decision was made by the Department of Surgery at the University of Adelaide to proceed with optional rural surgical attachments in 1998. Subjects:The survey was distributed to the 125 members of the 1997 fifth year medical student group. Results:A total of 92 questionnaires were returned giving a response rate of 75%. Thirty-nine students ranked a rural term in their top half of preferences, while a further 18 indicated that they would go to a rural centre if they had to. Conclusion:Despite having little warning of the impending changes to their surgical curriculum, the majority of students who responded to the questionnaire stated that they would be willing to venture to the country locations. Before planning significant changes to an established curriculum, the student group should be consulted to gauge their opinion. What is already known:Within the medical literature, studies have been performed with regard to student opinions regarding postgraduate internships in rural locations, but to our knowledge, this survey represents the first study into student opinion with particular reference to rural surgical attachments prior to their commencement within a medical school curriculum. What this study adds:As a result of this study, it can now be concluded that a considerable amount of interest exists within the student population to undertake rural surgical rotations. [source] Trends in renal tumor surgery delivery within the United States,CANCER, Issue 10 2010Lori M. Dulabon DO Abstract BACKGROUND: Most small renal tumors are amenable to partial nephrectomy (PN). Studies have documented the association of radical nephrectomy (RN) with an increased risk of comorbid conditions, such as chronic kidney disease. Despite evidence of equivalent oncologic outcomes, PN remains under used within the United States. In this study, the authors identified the most recent trends in kidney surgery for small renal tumors and determined which factors were associated with the use of PN versus RN within the United States. METHODS: A population-based patient cohort was analyzed using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results cancer registry (SEER 1999-2006). The authors identified 18,330 patients ages 40 to 90 years who underwent surgery for kidney tumors ,4 cm in the United States between 1999 and 2006. RESULTS: In total, 11,870 patients (65%) underwent RN, and 6460 patients (35%) underwent PN. The ratio of PN to RN increased yearly (P < .001), representing 45% of kidney surgeries in 2006 for small tumors. There were significant differences in the cohort of patients who underwent PN versus RN, including age, sex, tumor location, marital status, year of treatment, and tumor size. When adjusting for these variables, being a man, age ,70 years, urban residence, smaller tumor size, and more recent treatment year were predictors of PN. CONCLUSIONS: Although the total numbers of PN procedures increased in the United States between 1999 and 2006, there remains a significant under use of PN, particularly among women, the elderly, and those living in rural locations. Further investigation will be required to determine the reasons for these disparities, and strategies to optimize access to PN need to be developed. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society. [source] | ||||||||||