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Abstract
Growing evidence shows a relationship between social infrastructure (SI) – the physical places where people gather outside of home and work – and health. However, existing data sources for rigorously investigating this relationship are limited, especially for rural areas. Therefore, we conducted an environmental scan of existing data for furthering research on this topic, with a focus on the rural United States (U.S.). A total of 10 datasets met inclusion criteria. Key information was collated from websites and reviewed by data administrators. We summarize key features of these datasets, including available measures of geography/rurality, SI availability and utilization, and physical, mental and social health. We describe analytic strengths and weaknesses of the available data, which is essential for researchers to be able to assess their data options. While the scan focuses on U.S.-based data, the key points will be applicable more broadly, including a need for more data on availability and use of social infrastructure combined with geographic indicators.
Publication Date
3-15-2024
Journal Title
Aging and Health Research
Publisher
Elsevier
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Rhubart, D., Henly, M. , Henning-Smith, C., & Guest, A. (2024) Social infrastructure and healthy aging in rural America: A summary of existing data. Aging and Health Research, 100186. doi: 10.1016/j.ahr.2024.100186.
Rights
© 2024 The Authors.
Comments
This is an open access article published by Elsevier in Aging and Health Research in 2024, available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ahr.2024.100186