For the longest time in history, rural Appalachia has been a region of despair and poverty. Located in the Eastern region of the United States, the Appalachian does not have a definite boundary. The isolation of this region has made the increasing health disparities go undetected by the general population (Hendryx, 2012). While the region does not seek attention from the outside world, many health disparities have emerged. In line with the wide range of health issues experienced by people living in the region, there is a need to conduct extensive research on the health disparities to come up with a definite solution. Issues faced by people from the region cannot be addressed without significant external attention. This paper will address the disparities associated with the Appalachian culture, how these variations affect health status, employment, and education. Nursing interventions for decreasing the effects of the health disparities in the Appalachia region and the greatest nursing challenge when implementing the nursing intervention will be discussed.
There is a broad range of differences associated with the Appalachian culture. Inadequate healthcare resources within the Appalachian region are associated with the absence of specialty care providers as well as a limited number of appointments for the outpatient visits (Hendryx, 2012). These factors greatly affect the provision of quality healthcare to people living in the region. The utilization of health care within the region has been very low mainly because of the insufficiency of funds and many other obstacles associated with the Appalachian culture. Besides, the lack of cultural competence among healthcare providers has become an obstacle to the provision of healthcare services.
Health disparities have a close relationship with inequality in education. School dropout cases in Appalachia are closely associated with multiple health as well as social problems (Morrone, Kruse & Chadwick, 2015). In general, individuals with little or no education are highly exposed to health risks such as substance abuse. On the other hand, high levels of education have a close relationship with the increased chances of gaining health information that can be used in obtaining suitable health decisions. Health disparities have a significant effect on employment, health, and education. To begin with, health disparities greatly affect the availability of jobs. These variations affect employment because when individuals have poor health, they would be unable to work (Lane, Konrad & Ricketts, 2012). Such discrepancies lead to the unequal distribution of jobs since individuals are not given equal employment opportunities. Secondly, disparities involve the burden of disease, injury, and violent acts that affect individuals from disadvantaged communities. These disparities have a direct effect on the health of a given population.
Many approaches can be used to decrease the impact of health disparities in the Appalachian region. The most important strategy is ensuring that people living in the Appalachian region have access to basic care at the most affordable cost (Lane, Konrad & Ricketts, 2012). It is also important to promote healthy lifestyles and wellness in the region. Healthcare providers should consider addressing the determinants of health. Providing care to individuals living around the Appalachian region is associated with a broad range of challenges (Morrone, Kruse & Chadwick, 2015). The greatest challenge of implementing a nursing intervention in the Appalachian region is the lack of health insurance. Since most individuals in the region are poor, they do not have access to insurance facilities.
References
Hendryx, M. (2012). Poverty and mortality disparities in central Appalachia: mountaintop mining and environmental justice. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 4(3), 6.
Lane, N., Konrad, R., & Ricketts, T. (2012). Health Care Costs and Access Disparities in Apppalachia. Washington, DC: Appalachia Regional Commission.
Morrone, M., Kruse, N. A., & Chadwick, A. E. (2015). Environmental and Health Disparities in Appalachian Ohio: Perceptions and Realities. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 7(5), 5.