The oldest mountains in America are rich in natural beauty with their raging creeks, steep hollows and old pines. They are also one of the poorest, most disadvantaged regions in America and the problem that goes largely unnoticed by the rest of the country. The relationship between poverty and population health disparities including premature mortality is well established (Shaw & Smith, 2006). For example, a recent study found that poverty had a larger impact on reducing quality-adjusted life years than more traditional public health and health services variables including smoking, obesity, binge drinking, and health insurance (Muennig, Fiscella, Tancredi, & Franks, 2009).
Heavily strip-mined communities in Appalachia are among the …show more content…
Poverty, education, availability of services and transportation, are a few. If you’re not familiar with the circumstances surrounding the Appalachian people, it is hard to comprehend the culture. A place plagued by poor health habits and sky-high levels of chronic disease that some experts say may be a harbinger of where the country is headed if we don't rein in epidemics like obesity. For most Americans, this lush region conjures the strum of a banjo, the songs of Loretta Lynn and the gentle twang of a thick mountain accent. The lyrics of a Loretta Lynn song really does set the scene, Born a proud coalminers daughter, in Butcher’s Holler. She depicts the real life of the Appalachian people. I am sure you ask, how would I have any idea the suffering, despair, and the hard times of Appalachia? Because it’s my story, my roots are firmly planted in those hollers, planted with the people of those hollers. They are poor, less educated, and have a health epidemic. Above average cases of cancer, black lung, and obesity. "access to health care is difficult in Appalachia," Roman says. "And there seems to be something about culture — a sense of fatalism, that whatever happens, …show more content…
Every hollow bears such stories. Kentucky has more cancer than any other state in the country. It has the highest rates of lung cancer and colorectal cancer—incidence and death—in the U.S. Several other cancers, including cervical, also occur at disproportionately high rates. The cases are heavily concentrated in the Appalachian counties and are accompanied by high instances of poverty and low educational attainment. The central Appalachian areas of West Virginia and Virginia are similarly plagued by malignancies. Cancer in central Appalachia is itself like an invasive tumor, and restoring health to the region means excising a tangled knot of issues with roots that extend far beyond the mountain range and into the very heart and soul of America.
The communication between patients and health professionals are instrumental in creating either trust or distrust between individuals and families and health care professionals and the health care system. Trust is the critical factor in individuals’ acceptance of information and use of health care services, including screening and treatment for cancer. Health professionals face the challenge of acknowledging these personal characteristics of Appalachians and using them to develop two-way communication about
Heavily strip-mined communities in Appalachia are among the …show more content…
Poverty, education, availability of services and transportation, are a few. If you’re not familiar with the circumstances surrounding the Appalachian people, it is hard to comprehend the culture. A place plagued by poor health habits and sky-high levels of chronic disease that some experts say may be a harbinger of where the country is headed if we don't rein in epidemics like obesity. For most Americans, this lush region conjures the strum of a banjo, the songs of Loretta Lynn and the gentle twang of a thick mountain accent. The lyrics of a Loretta Lynn song really does set the scene, Born a proud coalminers daughter, in Butcher’s Holler. She depicts the real life of the Appalachian people. I am sure you ask, how would I have any idea the suffering, despair, and the hard times of Appalachia? Because it’s my story, my roots are firmly planted in those hollers, planted with the people of those hollers. They are poor, less educated, and have a health epidemic. Above average cases of cancer, black lung, and obesity. "access to health care is difficult in Appalachia," Roman says. "And there seems to be something about culture — a sense of fatalism, that whatever happens, …show more content…
Every hollow bears such stories. Kentucky has more cancer than any other state in the country. It has the highest rates of lung cancer and colorectal cancer—incidence and death—in the U.S. Several other cancers, including cervical, also occur at disproportionately high rates. The cases are heavily concentrated in the Appalachian counties and are accompanied by high instances of poverty and low educational attainment. The central Appalachian areas of West Virginia and Virginia are similarly plagued by malignancies. Cancer in central Appalachia is itself like an invasive tumor, and restoring health to the region means excising a tangled knot of issues with roots that extend far beyond the mountain range and into the very heart and soul of America.
The communication between patients and health professionals are instrumental in creating either trust or distrust between individuals and families and health care professionals and the health care system. Trust is the critical factor in individuals’ acceptance of information and use of health care services, including screening and treatment for cancer. Health professionals face the challenge of acknowledging these personal characteristics of Appalachians and using them to develop two-way communication about