The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examination
Abstract Background The CoVID-19 pandemic underscored effects of community resources on the built environment, health and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to conduct community-engaged research and examine aspects of health, and access to healthcare from the voices of community members,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16782-6 |
| _version_ | 1797451170931802112 |
|---|---|
| author | Ludmila F. Wikkeling-Scott Mohammad Gharipour Salman Mohagheghi |
| author_facet | Ludmila F. Wikkeling-Scott Mohammad Gharipour Salman Mohagheghi |
| author_sort | Ludmila F. Wikkeling-Scott |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The CoVID-19 pandemic underscored effects of community resources on the built environment, health and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to conduct community-engaged research and examine aspects of health, and access to healthcare from the voices of community members, as a foundation for improving health equity through the built environment. Methods This study utilized a convergent mixed methods design that included surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted from July 2021 to August 2022 to examine the impact of limited community resources, such as community health clinics on participants during the CoVID-19 pandemic. A convenient sample of 345 male and female African American participants represented five zip codes (21215, 21216, 21217, 21223, and 21229) in with the highest impact from CoVID 19, in Baltimore, Maryland. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to describe how the two types supported one another in health, healthcare and healthcare access. Results More than half of all participants reported satisfaction with overall health, quality of healthcare provided and access to health care services. However, results indicated extreme differences in factors related to health and wellness after, as comparted to before the onset of the pandemic, Semi-structured interviews, expanded on overall community health, highlighting that overall satisfaction with health does not equal satisfaction with health-related resources and suggested participants felt frustrated and left out of much-needed community health resources to improve health and mental health services for all ages, nutrition services and community activities that make communities thrive. Data integration provided a more realistic view of what participants really experience, due to the expanded analysis of semi-structured interviews, and indicated quantitative and qualitative data did not always support each other. Conclusions Future research to improve the built environment, and to address historic health inequities, will require ongoing community engagement to better understand community needs. This study results encourage ongoing research to expand resources for community-engaged research and interventions. Researchers must remain cognoscente of changing needs, and persistent disparities that can only be addressed if policies, supported by these results, are introduced to make equitable investments to forge an environment where healthy communities thrive. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:50:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1223400fb9c348e787c54a988711aa33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:50:56Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-1223400fb9c348e787c54a988711aa332023-11-26T14:27:11ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582023-09-0123111210.1186/s12889-023-16782-6The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examinationLudmila F. Wikkeling-Scott0Mohammad Gharipour1Salman Mohagheghi2Public Health Department, School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State UniversityArchitecture Program, School of Architecture, Planning and Historic Preservation, University of MarylandElectrical Engineering Department, Colorado School of MinesAbstract Background The CoVID-19 pandemic underscored effects of community resources on the built environment, health and health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to conduct community-engaged research and examine aspects of health, and access to healthcare from the voices of community members, as a foundation for improving health equity through the built environment. Methods This study utilized a convergent mixed methods design that included surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted from July 2021 to August 2022 to examine the impact of limited community resources, such as community health clinics on participants during the CoVID-19 pandemic. A convenient sample of 345 male and female African American participants represented five zip codes (21215, 21216, 21217, 21223, and 21229) in with the highest impact from CoVID 19, in Baltimore, Maryland. Quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to describe how the two types supported one another in health, healthcare and healthcare access. Results More than half of all participants reported satisfaction with overall health, quality of healthcare provided and access to health care services. However, results indicated extreme differences in factors related to health and wellness after, as comparted to before the onset of the pandemic, Semi-structured interviews, expanded on overall community health, highlighting that overall satisfaction with health does not equal satisfaction with health-related resources and suggested participants felt frustrated and left out of much-needed community health resources to improve health and mental health services for all ages, nutrition services and community activities that make communities thrive. Data integration provided a more realistic view of what participants really experience, due to the expanded analysis of semi-structured interviews, and indicated quantitative and qualitative data did not always support each other. Conclusions Future research to improve the built environment, and to address historic health inequities, will require ongoing community engagement to better understand community needs. This study results encourage ongoing research to expand resources for community-engaged research and interventions. Researchers must remain cognoscente of changing needs, and persistent disparities that can only be addressed if policies, supported by these results, are introduced to make equitable investments to forge an environment where healthy communities thrive.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16782-6Built environmentCommunity healthCoVID-19Health disparitiesHealth equityHealthcare access |
| spellingShingle | Ludmila F. Wikkeling-Scott Mohammad Gharipour Salman Mohagheghi The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examination BMC Public Health Built environment Community health CoVID-19 Health disparities Health equity Healthcare access |
| title | The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examination |
| title_full | The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examination |
| title_fullStr | The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examination |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examination |
| title_short | The effects of COVID-19 on African American communities in Baltimore’s health enterprise zones: a mixed-methods examination |
| title_sort | effects of covid 19 on african american communities in baltimore s health enterprise zones a mixed methods examination |
| topic | Built environment Community health CoVID-19 Health disparities Health equity Healthcare access |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16782-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ludmilafwikkelingscott theeffectsofcovid19onafricanamericancommunitiesinbaltimoreshealthenterprisezonesamixedmethodsexamination AT mohammadgharipour theeffectsofcovid19onafricanamericancommunitiesinbaltimoreshealthenterprisezonesamixedmethodsexamination AT salmanmohagheghi theeffectsofcovid19onafricanamericancommunitiesinbaltimoreshealthenterprisezonesamixedmethodsexamination AT ludmilafwikkelingscott effectsofcovid19onafricanamericancommunitiesinbaltimoreshealthenterprisezonesamixedmethodsexamination AT mohammadgharipour effectsofcovid19onafricanamericancommunitiesinbaltimoreshealthenterprisezonesamixedmethodsexamination AT salmanmohagheghi effectsofcovid19onafricanamericancommunitiesinbaltimoreshealthenterprisezonesamixedmethodsexamination |