IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0287181.html

Self-assessed health status and obesity vulnerability in rural Louisiana: A cross-sectional analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Santosh Pathak
  • Hua Wang
  • Katherine Seals
  • Naveen C Adusumilli
  • Denise Holston

Abstract

Rural communities are resource-constrained and at higher risk of obesity and obesity-related conditions. Thus, studying self-assessed health status and underlying vulnerabilities is critical to provide insights to the program planners for effective and efficient planning of obesity prevention programs. This study aims to investigate the correlates of self-assessed health status and subsequently determine the obesity vulnerability level of residents in rural communities. Randomly sampled data were obtained from in-person community surveys in three rural Louisiana counties–East Carroll, Saint Helena, and Tensas–in June 2021. The association of social-demographic factors, grocery store choice, and exercise frequency with self-assessed health was investigated using the ordered logit model. An obesity vulnerability index was constructed using the weights obtained from the principal component analysis. The results show that gender, race, education, possession of children, exercise frequency, and grocery store choice significantly influence self-assessed health status. Around 20% of respondents fall into the most-vulnerable segment and 65% of respondents are vulnerable to obesity. The obesity vulnerability index ranged from -4.036 to 4.565, indicating a wide heterogeneity in the vulnerability level of rural residents. The findings show that the self-assessed health status of rural residents is not promising along with a high level of vulnerability to obesity. The findings from this study could serve as a reference in the policy discussion regarding an effective and efficient suite of interventions in rural communities to address obesity and promote well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Santosh Pathak & Hua Wang & Katherine Seals & Naveen C Adusumilli & Denise Holston, 2023. "Self-assessed health status and obesity vulnerability in rural Louisiana: A cross-sectional analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(6), pages 1-16, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0287181
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287181
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287181
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287181&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0287181?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mark B. Stewart, 2004. "Semi-nonparametric estimation of extended ordered probit models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 4(1), pages 27-39, March.
    2. Llorca, Manuel & Rodriguez-Alvarez, Ana & Jamasb, Tooraj, 2020. "Objective vs. subjective fuel poverty and self-assessed health," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    3. Gintare Mazeikaite & Cathal O’Donoghue & Denisa M. Sologon, 2019. "The Great Recession, financial strain and self-assessed health in Ireland," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 20(4), pages 579-596, June.
    4. S. Balica & N. Wright & F. Meulen, 2012. "A flood vulnerability index for coastal cities and its use in assessing climate change impacts," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 64(1), pages 73-105, October.
    5. Susan L. Cutter & Bryan J. Boruff & W. Lynn Shirley, 2003. "Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 84(2), pages 242-261, June.
    6. Deon Filmer & Lant Pritchett, 2001. "Estimating Wealth Effects Without Expenditure Data—Or Tears: An Application To Educational Enrollments In States Of India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 38(1), pages 115-132, February.
    7. Franks, Peter & Gold, Marthe R. & Fiscella, Kevin, 2003. "Sociodemographics, self-rated health, and mortality in the US," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 56(12), pages 2505-2514, June.
    8. Steven A Cohen & Mary L Greaney & Natalie J Sabik, 2018. "Assessment of dietary patterns, physical activity and obesity from a national survey: Rural-urban health disparities in older adults," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-15, December.
    9. Candice A Myers & Tim Slack & Corby K Martin & Stephanie T Broyles & Steven B Heymsfield, 2016. "Change in Obesity Prevalence across the United States Is Influenced by Recreational and Healthcare Contexts, Food Environments, and Hispanic Populations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(2), pages 1-12, February.
    10. Niclas Berggren & Martin Ljunge, 2021. "Good Faith and Bad Health: Self-Assessed Religiosity and Self-Assessed Health of Women and Men in Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 153(1), pages 323-344, January.
    11. Au, Nicole & Johnston, David W., 2014. "Self-assessed health: What does it mean and what does it hide?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 21-28.
    12. J. Scott Long & Jeremy Freese, 2006. "Regression Models for Categorical Dependent Variables using Stata, 2nd Edition," Stata Press books, StataCorp LLC, edition 2, number long2, March.
    13. Joanna Jurewicz & Dorota Kaleta, 2020. "Correlates of Poor Self-Assessed Health Status among Socially Disadvantaged Populations in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-18, February.
    14. Christine L Gray & Lynne C Messer & Kristen M Rappazzo & Jyotsna S Jagai & Shannon C Grabich & Danelle T Lobdell, 2018. "The association between physical inactivity and obesity is modified by five domains of environmental quality in U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(8), pages 1-14, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vitor Baccarin Zanetti & Wilson Cabral De Sousa Junior & Débora M. De Freitas, 2016. "A Climate Change Vulnerability Index and Case Study in a Brazilian Coastal City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Abdur Rahim Hamidi & Jiangwei Wang & Shiyao Guo & Zhongping Zeng, 2020. "Flood vulnerability assessment using MOVE framework: a case study of the northern part of district Peshawar, Pakistan," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 101(2), pages 385-408, March.
    3. Piya, Luni & Maharjan, Keshav Lall & Joshi, Niraj Prakash, 2012. "Vulnerability of rural households to climate change and extremes: Analysis of Chepang households in the Mid-Hills of Nepal," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126191, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Prakash, Kushneel & Munyanyi, Musharavati Ephraim, 2021. "Energy poverty and obesity," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    5. Glwadys A. Gbetibouo & Claudia Ringler & Rashid Hassan, 2010. "Vulnerability of the South African farming sector to climate change and variability: An indicator approach," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(3), pages 175-187, August.
    6. Cibele Oliveira Lima & Jarbas Bonetti & Tiago Borges Ribeiro Gandra & Carla Bonetti & Marinez Eymael Garcia Scherer, 2024. "Multiscale analysis of coastal social vulnerability to extreme events in Brazil," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 120(2), pages 1163-1184, January.
    7. Deressa, Temesgen & Hassan, Rashid M. & Ringler, Claudia, 2008. "Measuring Ethiopian farmers' vulnerability to climate change across regional states:," IFPRI discussion papers 806, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Habibov, Nazim, 2012. "Early childhood care and education attendance in Central Asia," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 798-806.
    9. Cascade Tuholske & Kwaw Andam & Jordan Blekking & Tom Evans & Kelly Caylor, 2020. "Comparing measures of urban food security in Accra, Ghana," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 417-431, April.
    10. Sindhuja Kasthala & D. Parthasarathy & K. Narayanan & Arun B. Inamdar, 2024. "Classification and Evaluation of Current Climate Vulnerability Assessment Methods," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 171(2), pages 605-639, January.
    11. Kerstin Krellenberg & Juliane Welz, 2017. "Assessing Urban Vulnerability in the Context of Flood and Heat Hazard: Pathways and Challenges for Indicator-Based Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 132(2), pages 709-731, June.
    12. A.-M. Esnard & B. S. Lai & C. Wyczalkowski & N. Malmin & H. J. Shah, 2018. "School vulnerability to disaster: examination of school closure, demographic, and exposure factors in Hurricane Ike’s wind swath," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 90(2), pages 513-535, January.
    13. Stephanie Chang & Jackie Yip & Shona Zijll de Jong & Rebecca Chaster & Ashley Lowcock, 2015. "Using vulnerability indicators to develop resilience networks: a similarity approach," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 78(3), pages 1827-1841, September.
    14. Jungmin Lim & Mark Skidmore, 2019. "Flood Fatalities in the United States: The Roles of Socioeconomic Factors and the National Flood Insurance Program," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 85(4), pages 1032-1057, April.
    15. Niranjan Padhan & S Madheswaran, 2023. "An integrated assessment of vulnerability to floods in coastal Odisha: a district-level analysis," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 115(3), pages 2351-2382, February.
    16. Dalia Fadly & Francisco Fontes & Miet Maertens, 2023. "Fuel for food: Access to clean cooking fuel and food security in India," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(2), pages 301-321, April.
    17. Daystar Babanawo & Precious Agbeko D. Mattah & Samuel K. M. Agblorti & Emmanuel K. Brempong & Memuna Mawusi Mattah & Denis Worlanyo Aheto, 2022. "Local Indicator-Based Flood Vulnerability Indices and Predictors of Relocation in the Ketu South Municipal Area of Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-26, May.
    18. Neiler Medina & Yared Abayneh Abebe & Arlex Sanchez & Zoran Vojinovic, 2020. "Assessing Socioeconomic Vulnerability after a Hurricane: A Combined Use of an Index-Based approach and Principal Components Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-31, February.
    19. Krellenberg, Kerstin & Link, Felipe & Welz, Juliane & Barth, Katrin & Harris, Jordan & Irarrázaval, Felipe & Valenzuela, Felipe, 2015. "Approaching urban vulnerability to climate change induced risks in socio-environmentally fragmented areas: The case of Santiago de Chile," UFZ Reports 02/2015, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ).
    20. Abdul Hasib Mollah & Hasibul Hasan Shovon & Apurba Roy, 2025. "Assessing socioeconomic vulnerability of cyclone remal-affected coastal communities in Bangladesh," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 121(6), pages 6571-6596, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0287181. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.