Unveiling rural and Appalachian disparities in cigarette smoking through the social vulnerability index and other county-level characteristics
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Cigarette smoking is significantly higher in rural and Appalachian Virginia. Social vulnerability and local factors contribute to disparities, but significant unexplained gaps remain, necessitating targeted interventions for health equity.
Area Of Science
- Public Health
- Health Disparities
- Rural Health
Background
- Tobacco-related health disparities disproportionately affect Appalachian and rural populations.
- Understanding the prevalence and drivers of cigarette smoking in these underserved regions is critical for targeted interventions.
Purpose Of The Study
- To assess cigarette smoking prevalence across Virginia counties.
- To identify disparities linked to rurality and Appalachian region residency.
- To explore local factors contributing to these smoking disparities.
Main Methods
- Utilized 2011-2019 Virginia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data for county-level smoking rates.
- Categorized counties as urban/rural and Appalachian/non-Appalachian, focusing on rural-Appalachian areas.
- Employed Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to analyze disparities, incorporating the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and county-specific factors (e.g., tobacco agriculture, physician availability, coal mining, tobacco retailer density).
Main Results
- Rural areas showed 6.18% higher smoking prevalence than urban areas; Appalachian areas showed 6.79% higher prevalence than non-Appalachian areas.
- Social Vulnerability Index dimensions explained over 50% of the disparities in both rural and Appalachian regions.
- Rural-Appalachian areas exhibited a 7.8% higher prevalence, with SVI contributing significantly, yet substantial unexplained disparities persisted.
Conclusions
- Significant cigarette smoking disparities exist in Virginia's rural, Appalachian, and rural-Appalachian counties.
- While SVI dimensions, physician availability, tobacco agriculture, and coal mining are contributing factors, notable unexplained gaps highlight the need for further investigation.
- Targeted interventions addressing the unique challenges in disadvantaged areas are essential to reduce smoking rates and advance health equity.
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