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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Economics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 12436

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Sue Kilpatrick

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7005, Australia
Interests: social capital; rural health; rural education and learning for work; rural community development; regional development; community and individual well-being

Dr. Ha Hoang

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Guest Editor

Centre for Rural Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston 7250, Australia
Interests: rural health; mental health; migrant health; oral health; community health

Dr. Chona Hannah

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Guest Editor

School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston 7250, Australia
Interests: rural health; rural education; migrant health; women’s health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rural communities vary within and between countries in many ways: degree of isolation; environment assets; wealth; and the depth, breadth and quality of their social resources, or social capital. Social capital resources including social networks, shared values, norms, trust, and leadership influence how communities come together to take advantage of opportunities and solve problems, and how effectively they can access external resources for community benefit. We are living in a time when many countries are experiencing difficulty attracting health professionals to rural areas and there is a trend of withdrawal of physical health services. At the same time, technology is facilitating new ways of virtual connection that can be used to overcome physical isolation, provide social connection and potentially be used for innovative health and wellbeing service delivery. COVID-19 has accelerated the development of innovative technical solutions. Despite the available technology, rural health professionals still have a very important place in rural communities. We need to understand how social capital can be used in training and attracting people for rural health and wellbeing roles. There is room for more evaluation of what works where and when in drawing on social capital for innovative service delivery, wellbeing programs, and for attracting and retaining health professionals in rural communities. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those combining a high academic standard coupled with a practical focus on providing innovative solutions for the provision of services, supporting community wellbeing, or attracting and retaining health professionals.

Prof. Dr. Sue Kilpatrick
Dr. Ha Hoang
Dr. Chona Hannah
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

social capital
rural health
community health
evaluation
research methodology
rural health workforce
innovative service model and well-being

Published Papers (5 papers)

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18 pages, 900 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Capital and Rural Health for Refugee Communities in Australia

by Lillian Mwanri, Emily Miller, Moira Walsh, Melanie Baak and Anna Ziersch

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2378; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032378 - 29 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3180

Abstract

Refugee resettlement significantly contributes to Australia’s migration programs, with recent policy directives prioritising rural resettlement. As a result, the cultural diversity of populations of several Australian rural towns has substantially expanded. Newcomers may encounter challenges becoming part of closed social networks and accessing the resources they need for a healthy life in resettlement. However, there are also benefits that stem from positive integration for newcomers and for receiving populations. As part of a larger study, which aimed to explore facilitators and barriers to successful resettlement in a rural setting, the objective of this paper was to show how social ties were important for participants’ health, both facilitating access to resources, including health services, and connecting people to health-promoting living conditions. In-depth individual interviews with 44 participants from refugee communities originally from Africa and South-East Asia, settled in a rural South Australian town, were conducted. Participants were invited to the study through snowball sampling via known connections between the researchers and key people within the communities. Interview transcripts were analysed using framework thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate how participants drew on connections within their cultural communities, reflecting collectivist cultural values. These social ties were key to enabling access to resources for health. These included emotional resources, such as a sense of belonging, as well as physical and practical resources, including food, housing, and/or accessing services. Several participants were also working towards a career in the health industry. Populations from refugee communities in rural towns are growing, not only with the continuation of new arrivals to these towns, but also as the settled populations expand their families and communities. Effective health service provision in these locations needs to serve these growing communities, and there is scope for services to tap into community networks to assist with this. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Rural Health)

16 pages, 334 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Social Capital on Multidimensional Poverty of Rural Households in China

by Jinfang Wang, Hui Xiao and Xiaojin Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010217 - 23 Dec 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2052

Abstract

Getting rid of multidimensional poverty is both the people’s wish and the direction of governance. Based on 2018 China Household Tracking Survey (CFPS) data, this paper identifies household multidimensional poverty in rural areas using a combination of the MPI index and the A-F method. The relationship between social capital and multidimensional poverty was also empirically analyzed using a Logit model. The results showed that: (1) 1599 multidimensional poverty households were identified, the incidence of multidimensional poverty was 24.94%, and the multidimensional poverty index was 0.103. In terms of poverty incidence, the three highest indicators of poverty incidence are adult education, health, and chronic diseases, reaching 42.06%, 37.65%, and 29.90%, respectively, and mainly concentrated in the education and health care systems. (2) Social capital can significantly reduce the probability of multidimensional poverty in rural households. Among them, social network significantly and negatively affects the occurrence of multidimensional poverty in rural households, social trust in neighbors has a significant negative effect on multidimensional poverty in rural households at the 1% level, and social prestige is positively related to multidimensional poverty in rural households. (3) Age of household head, household size, and income from working outside the home are significantly associated with multidimensional poverty in rural households. This paper expands the scope of social capital theory research and provides new perspectives and empirical evidence for alleviating multidimensional poverty. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Rural Health)

15 pages, 751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wellness Impacts of Social Capital Built in Online Peer Support Forums

by Sue Kilpatrick, Sherridan Emery, Jane Farmer and Peter Kamstra

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15427; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315427 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1260

Abstract

The study reported in this paper sought to explore whether and how social capital resources were generated on online peer support mental health forums, and how they were used by rural users to influence mental health outcomes. Interviews with rural users of three Australian online peer support mental health forums were analysed to identify interactions that accessed social capital resources and mental wellness outcomes that flowed from these. Analysis drew on a model of simultaneous building and using of social capital to uncover the nature of the social capital resources present on the forum and how they were built. Findings show that forums were sites for building ‘knowledge resources’ including archives of users’ experiences of navigating mental illness and the mental health service system; and ‘identity resources’ including a willingness to contribute in line with forum values. The knowledge and identity resources built and available to rural users on the forums are facilitated by forum characteristics, which can be viewed as affordances of technology and institutional affordances. Operation by trusted organisations, moderation, a large network of users and anonymity created a safe space that encouraged reciprocity and where users exchanged information and social support that helped them maintain better mental wellness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Rural Health)

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16 pages, 2271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Supply Impacts and Solutions Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Regional Australian Case Study

by Stephanie Louise Godrich, Flavio Macau, Katherine Kent, Johnny Lo and Amanda Devine

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4116; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074116 - 30 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3649

Abstract

This study aimed to explore how food supply chains were impacted by COVID-19 and identify how the region could be better prepared for future crises. An online survey was completed by 107 consumers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 27 food supply stakeholders working in food production, distribution, retail, hospitality, institutions (i.e., childcare), logistics/freight and local government. Pre-COVID-19, farmer-direct distribution options and hospitality businesses comprised a substantial proportion of local food producer businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers favoured local food supply options, farmers collaborated, and produce usually destined for export was redirected into local markets. Critical food supply actions included keeping borders open to food freight, enhancing social capital through real-time business communication, and business flexibility. Solutions included business adaptation, for example, farmers selling produce boxes and hospitality businesses selling excess stock, COVID-safe delivery, and collaboration through digital networks. To better prepare the region for future crises, actions to support communities could include a community approach to agriculture, increasing food supply diversity, facilitating transport to aid food distribution and purchasing, and more effective messaging to discourage panic buying. Actions to support retailers could include increasing access to wholesalers through online platforms. Actions to support producers could include improving infrastructure, such as more regional distribution facilities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Rural Health)

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15 pages, 1651 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Risk Factors Associated with Preventable Hospitalisation among Rural Community-Dwelling Patients: A Systematic Review

by Andrew Ridge, Gregory M. Peterson and Rosie Nash

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16487; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416487 - 08 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1289

Abstract

Potentially preventable hospitalisations (PPHs) are common and increase the burden on already stretched healthcare services. Increasingly, psychosocial factors have been recognised as contributing to PPHs and these may be mitigated through greater attention to social capital. This systematic review investigates the factors associated with PPHs within rural populations. The review was designed, conducted, and reported according to PRISMA guidelines and registered with Prospero (ID: CRD42020152194). Four databases were systematically searched, and all potentially relevant papers were screened at the title/abstract level, followed by full-text review by at least two reviewers. Papers published between 2000–2022 were included. Quality assessment was conducted using Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and CASP Qualitative checklist. Of the thirteen papers included, eight were quantitative/descriptive and five were qualitative studies. All were from either Australia or the USA. Access to primary healthcare was frequently identified as a determinant of PPH. Socioeconomic, psychosocial, and geographical factors were commonly identified in the qualitative studies. This systematic review highlights the inherent attributes of rural populations that predispose them to PPHs. Equal importance should be given to supply/system factors that restrict access and patient-level factors that influence the ability and capacity of rural communities to receive appropriate primary healthcare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Rural Health)

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