There is a critical need to determine the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on the comprehensive well-being of people as they are living through the emergency and sequelae of the emergency period. The research team is requesting National Institutes of Health funding with the goal to investigate rural vs. urban living people's response to the crisis and its impact using mixed methods research.
The state of New Mexico and the entire nation have entered an unprecedented health emergency
created by the COVID-19 virus; affecting the lives of all people, many of whom were
significantly unprepared for the disruptions the emergency created in daily life. Rural
residents are at increased risk from effects of the emergency due to numerous disadvantages
as compared to urban living people (i.e. critical care access, food insecurity, social
isolation). Very little is known about how people are living through a national emergency
event affecting all people of the nation. Therefore, a significant gap in knowledge exists:
1. How are rural-living vs. urban-living people responding physically and mentally to the
crisis? 2. What strategies of resilience are employed by people living in rural vs. urban
counties? 3. What are perceptions of access to critical supplies and services in urban vs.
rural counties; 4. How is the availability and use of technology used for news, reliable
information, and communication? and 5. Use of time: what alterations in daily life self-care,
care of others, commerce, and valued routines in urban vs. rural counties are occurring?
Other: WHOQOL-BREF survey
Participants will be surveyed and interviewed about their perceptions regarding COVID-19 health emergency
Other Name: Personal Interview
Inclusion Criteria:
- Urban and rural living residents of New Mexico, any gender, gender identity, any
ethnic origin, any health status (healthy, chronic, disabled), and adult age from
18-85
Exclusion Criteria:
- Non-New Mexico residents, adults unable to give consent due to cognition or
incarceration status
University of New Mexico Department of Pediatrics
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Carla Wilhite, DOT, Principal Investigator
University of New Mexico