Browsing by Subject "Transportation"
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Item Beyond Food Deserts: Assessing the Impact of Public Transit Availability Change on Spatial Access to Food(2021-03) Katz, Brandon P.; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Johnson, Daniel P.; Thapa, Bhuwan; Dwyer, Owen J., IIIFood access is a dimension of food security that many struggle with even in high- income countries, which is a contributing factor to chronic diet-related disease. Inequalities in economic access to food has been addressed in public policy for several decades, but spatial access to food has only been seriously studied and addressed by policy for the past twenty-five years. After the food desert metaphor emerged, it was promptly accepted as a standard measure of food access for governments and a basis for policies created to address inequalities. Conceptual criticisms and methodological limitations of the metaphor have led the study of spatial access to food towards newer methods that measure food access more realistically and assist in the development and assessment of intervention strategies to inform policy decisions. This thesis describes the history of the food desert metaphor from its emergence until its adoption in US public policy, the conceptual criticisms and methodological limitations that surround it, and offers an analysis that measures the impact of change in the availability of public transportation on spatial access to food for various population subgroups that are more at risk of food insecurity in Marion County, Indiana. Results demonstrate that policies and plans designed without consideration for food access have an impact on it nevertheless, and that policymakers and planners can leverage such strategies to better coordinate efforts across government to reduce inequalities in spatial access to food and food insecurity overall.Item Impact of lack of transportation on access to dental care(Elsevier, 2024-11-22) Kim, Jaewhan; Roy, Indrakshi; Martinez-Mier, E. Angeles; Shukla, Anubhuti; Weir, Peter; Dental Public Health and Dental Informatics, School of DentistryObjectives: Access to healthcare may be influenced by the availability of transportation. Nevertheless, the impact of transportation challenges on access to dental care has not been thoroughly examined. This study investigates the influence of transportation availability on dental care visits, dental cleanings, and exams. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study. The 2021 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a national survey in the United States, was used for this study. Adults (≥18 years old) from the 2021 survey were included. The 2021 Full Year Consolidated File and the Dental Visits file were linked to identify the main independent variable and the outcomes.Weighted zero-inflated negative binomial regression and weighted logistic regression were employed to analyze the outcomes of dental care visits, and dental cleanings, and exams. Results: The study included a total of 204,704,044 adults, with an average age of 49 (SD: 18) years, and a 51 % female representation. Approximately 5.5 % (n=11,285,968) of the population reported facing transportation challenges. Subjects encountering transportation challenges exhibited a 26 % decrease in dental care visits compared to those without such challenges (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR)=0.74, p < 0.01, 95 % CI: 0.64-0.87). Individuals lacking transportation had 39 % lower odds of receiving a dental cleaning (odds ratio (OR)=0.61, p < 0.01, 95 % CI: 0.48-0.77) and 29 % lower odds of undergoing a checkup or exam (OR=0.71, p < 0.01, 95 % CI: 0.56-0.90). Conclusions: The study's findings underscore the significant impact of transportation challenges on access to dental care. Limited access to dental care due to transportation issues could exacerbate disparities in oral health outcomes. Implementing targeted interventions to address transportation challenges could contribute to improved oral health outcomes.Item Indiana State Board of Health Monthly Bulletin, 1905 Vol. 7 No. 3(1905) Quick, W.R.Item New vehicle or ambulance for the Child Hygiene Division of the State Board of Health.(Indiana State Board of Health, 1920-01)[(Text in image) Indiana State Board of Health Child Hygiene Division]Item New vehicle or ambulance for the Tuberculosis Division of the State Board of Health.(Indiana State Board of Health, 1920-01)[(Text in image) Indiana State Board of Health Tuberculosis Division]Item Pilot Testing and Validation of an Educational Game on Transportation Challenges for Mobility Device Users(MDPI, 2024) Candiotti, Jorge L.; Park, Sangmi; Lee, Chang Dae; Rafferty, Evan J.; Cooper, Rosemarie; Cooper, Rory A.; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human SciencesDespite the increasing use of assistive mobility devices, practical education to navigate real-world ground transportation barriers is lacking. The educational board game, called HERL-Town, was developed to teach safe and effective navigation for mobility device users (MDUs) in the community. The study examined the initial validity, reliability, and overall quality of HERL-Town as an educational tool for overcoming transportation barriers in real-world environments. HERL-Town featured fifty scenarios focused on transportation barriers and strategies, which were assessed for content validity, while the game quality was evaluated using the Model for the Evaluation of Educational Games (MEEGA+) tool. Twenty-three experienced MDUs and four caregivers participated in the study. The results indicated a good quality score of 60.15 and forty-five scenarios met the content validity standards. The overall reliability of the scenarios was moderate (ICC = 0.729). Early psychometric findings suggest HERL-Town as a promising effective educational game for helping new MDUs and their travel companions navigate safe and effective ground transportation barriers, hence enhancing their confidence, independence, and participation in the community.Item SOCIAL COHESION, TRANSPORTATION, AND PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AMONG OLDER ADULTS(Oxford University Press, 2019-11) Latham-Mintus, Kenzie; Miller, Keith; School of Social WorkObjectives: The purpose of this research is to examine the role that social cohesion and access (conceptualized as mobility and transportation) plays on participation in social activities (i.e., visiting friends/family, attending religious services, participating in organizations, and going out for enjoyment). Participation in valued, social activities promotes of well-being through social interactions and the maintenance of personally meaningful relationships and lifestyles. Methods: Data from the National Health and Aging Trends (NHATS) study were used. The NHATS is representative of U.S. Medicare recipients ages 65 and older. The NHATS collects information on health and participation as well as detailed environmental measures, which makes it well suited for this research. Results: Higher ratings of social cohesion were associated with higher cumulative odds of participating in social activities among older adults, net of sociodemographic characteristics, personal network size, neighborhood disorder, and health factors. Taking public transportation services and walking places were associated with higher cumulative odds of participating in social activities. An interaction between social cohesion and walking places was significant (p=0.002). Older adults who reported high levels of social cohesion and walked to get around their community were more likely to participate in social activities compared with those reporting low social cohesion and walking as a transportation. Discussion: This research provides evidence that socially cohesive neighborhoods enable greater access to social activities through transportation services. Offering a range of transportation services is only piece of creating an age-friendly community—older adults must also feel comfortable using these options.