Granular Insights From Local Data: Identifying Health Education Needs of Appalachia Kentucky

Abstract

The Appalachian region faces persistent health disparities compared to other regions of Kentucky and the broader United States, making it essential to identify its local needs. Using survey data from the Extension statewide needs assessment collected in the fall of 2023 from 29,068 respondents, this study aimed to identify and compare the perceived health education needs of residents in the Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions of Kentucky with the overarching goal of gaining granular insights into their perceived health education priorities. Findings reveal that Appalachian residents report higher needs in health promotion, including food and nutrition, substance use recovery, housing, and disaster preparedness. In contrast, they express lower needs in climate and environmental topics and mixed interest in agriculture and food production. These findings are relevant to all entities addressing public health concerns and highlight the importance of incorporating localized input when identifying regional needs. This ensures interventions are relevant, enhancing the effectiveness of future public health practice and Extension programming.

Keywords

Appalachia health disparities health education Extension needs assessment

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Akintobi

T. H.

Lockamy

Goodin

Hernandez

N. D.

Slocumb

Blumenthal

Hoffman

(2018). Processes and outcomes of a community-based participatory research-driven health needs assessment: A tool for moving health disparity reporting to evidence-based action. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 12(1), 139–147.

Batey

DeWitt

Brewer

Cardarelli

K. M.

Norman-Burgdolf

(2023). Exploring food-based cultural practices to address food insecurity in rural Appalachia. Health Education & Behavior, 50(4), 529–537. https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981231175360

Beatty

Hale

(2019, April). Health disparities related to opioid misuse in Appalachia: Practical strategies and recommendations for communities. https://www.arc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06HealthDisparitiesRelatedtoOpioidMisuseinAppalachiaApr2019.pdf

Bodkin

Hakimi

(2020). Sustainable by design: A systematic review of factors for health promotion program sustainability. BMC Public Health, 20, 1–16.

Cardarelli

K. M.

DeWitt

Gillespie

Bandy

Norman-Burgdolf

(2024). Enduring Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Access, Nutrition, and Well-Being in Rural Appalachia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(5), 594. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21050594

Davis

A. F.

Maurer

Allen

I. V. J. E.

Talbert

Childress

(2015). Program evaluation of the Appalachian regional commission’s health projects, 2004–2010. https://www.arc.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ProgramEvaluationofARCsHealthProjects2004-2010.pdf

Heffernan

Papanikolaou

Meit

(2024). Appalachian diseases of despair. NORC at the University of Chicago & East Tennessee State University: Appalachian Regional Commission.

Kegler

M. C.

Rigler

Honeycutt

. (2011). The role of community context in planning and implementing community-based health promotion projects. Evaluation and program planning, 34(3), 246–253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2011.03.004

Kwan

Do-Reynoso

Zarate-Gonzalez

Goldman-Mellor

(2018). Development and implementation of a community health survey for public health accreditation: Case study from a rural county in California. Evaluation and Program Planning, 67, 47–52. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149718917301209

10.

Norman-Burgdolf

DeWitt

Gillespie

Cardarelli

K. M.

Slone

Gustafson

(2023). Impact of community-driven interventions on dietary and physical activity outcomes among a cohort of adults in a rural Appalachian County in Eastern Kentucky, 2019–2022. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, Article 1142478. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1142478

11.

Nuzzo

(2021). Volunteer bias and female participation in exercise and sports science research. Quest, 73(1), 82–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2021.1875248

12.

Otufowora

Liu

Young

2nd. Egan

K. L.

Varma

D. S.

Striley

C. W.

Cottler

L. B.

(2021). Sex differences in willingness to participate in research based on study risk level among a community sample of African Americans in North Central Florida. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 23(1), 19–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-01015-4

13.

Ravaghi

Guisset

A. L.

Elfeky

Nasir

Khani

Ahmadnezhad

Abdi

(2023). A scoping review of community health needs and assets assessment: Concepts, rationale, tools and uses. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1), Article 44. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s12913-022-08983-3.pdf

14.

Sanders

C. E.

Markosyan

Gibson

K. E.

Byrd

A. R.

Lamm

A. J.

(2023). Improving sustainable food access and availability in rural communities: An assessment of needed resources. Sustainability, 15(7), 6293. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076293

15.

University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. (2023). University of Kentucky extension statewide community needs assessment. https://extension.ca.uky.edu/community-assessment

16.

Wang

Cheng

(2020). Cross-sectional studies: Strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations. Chest, 158(1), S65–S71.

17.

Weiss

Lillefjell

Magnus

(2016). Facilitators for the development and implementation of health promoting policy and programs—a scoping review at the local community level. BMC Public Health, 16, 1–15.