Socio-economic and Health Disparities

Gaps exist in wages and health outcomes based upon your race or age. The ZIP code where you live determines much about your financial and personal well-being. Discuss aspects of the differences and current research in this expanding field of study

The Impact of Neighboring Behaviors During Adolescence on Adult Community Participation

Purpose: Numerous studies have explored the importance of a sense of community on community participation (Mahatmya & Lohman, 2012; Lenzi, Vieno, Pastore, & Santinello, 2013; Talo, Mannarini, & Rochira, 2014). Other studies have examined the importance of social capital on civic engagement (De Donder, De Witte, Buffel, Dury, & Verte, 2012). However, few empirical studies have explored the longitudinal impact of the “neighboring” behaviors during adolescence on community participation in adulthood. This study assesses the impact of “neighboring” behaviors during adolescence on adult community participation as measured by civic participation, political participation, and trust in government

Welcoming Immigrants: An Opportunity to Strengthen Rural Communities

Rural communities matter. Almost a quarter of the Midwest\u27s population lives in rural communities, but emerging demographic patterns, including the increase of Latinos, are changing the landscapes of rural Midwestern communities. Often, the rise in the Latino population is the deciding factor between growth or decline for a rural community. This circumstance presents a unique opportunity for Extension professionals and communities to initiate best practices around community building and welcoming of newcomers, especially immigrants. We need to harness the strength of all rural residents to create vibrant, healthy, sustainable communities that are centers of creativity and innovation

Demographic Profile of the “Farmworker Population” in the United States

The health and economic well-being of farmworkers has been investigated by social scientists for many decades [1,2,3]. General research on occupational safety and farmworker justice has also been developed more recently [4]. Because Hispanics/Latinos are commonly associated with farmworker occupations, especially migrant farm work, research has paid special attention to their population [5]. For example, researchers have investigated the health of Latina farmworkers [6], injury in youth from Latino farmworker families [7], and learning ability amongst Latino farmworkers [8]. However, Latinos only make up about half of the “farmworker population” is the United States (US). The specific aim of this technical report was to estimate the farmworker population size by geographical division (shown in Figure 1) within the contiguous US and by basic demographic factors. The report helps others1 by using large-scale national data to delineate the sociodemographic profile of the farmworker population in the US mainland

Program Planning on Social Determinants of Health for Rural Nebraska

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are non-health factors that impact health in both direct and indirect ways. Research into SDOH and their effects has been extensive in recent years and has been further documented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the wealth of the literature on the SDOH, awareness of these important factors is not prevalent among community residents. Rural communities are as subject to the impact of SDOH just as their urban counterparts and experience additional complexities related to geography and topography. This capstone project aims to raise awareness, provide education, and assist with tools and resources, to empower rural communities to address the SDOH from within through a two-phased protocol, which was piloted in one rural county in Nebraska. The first phase included a session to raise awareness and educate on the SDOH, followed by a facilitated session where the facilitator worked with the audience on the prioritization of one to three determinants they wanted to address. Once the determinants were selected and prioritized, a logic model and evaluation plan were developed for implementation after year one of implementation. The expectation is to see the resolution of the priority issues, identify barriers and successes, and determine the next steps if applicable

Protecting cattle feedyard workers in the Central States region: Exploring state, regional, and national data on fatal and nonfatal injuries in agriculture and the beef production sector

Working in agriculture can be dangerous. Despite ongoing efforts of Extension, animal production worker safety has not been adequately addressed. We present state, regional, and national counts and rates on fatal and nonfatal injuries in agriculture and animal production using publicly available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We found that animal production had a high number of fatal injuries and a higher rate of nonfatal injuries than the average within agriculture. More needs to be done to protect livestock workers from injury. Extension professionals can play a key role in increasing safety knowledge and changing behaviors

Social Determinants of Health and Health Data Panel

A newer and expanding area of research is how socio-economic characteristics like income and education levels influence health outcomes. It has been said that your zip code is more important to your well-being than your genetic code. Local and national studies have shown correlations between higher poverty leading to lower life expectancy. Hear a panel of experts describe the health data of interest and how Census data tie into this important field of study

Health Profile of Nebraska\u27s Latino Population

The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s (UNO) Office of Latino and Latin American Studies (OLLAS) has released a report and policy brief, in conjunction with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), describing the serious health problems facing the growing Latino and immigrant populations in Nebraska and Iowa, particularly the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area