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Developing socio-spatial knowledge networks: : a qualitative methodology for chronic disease prevention

Author

Listed:
  • Cravey, Altha J.
  • Washburn, Sarah A.
  • Gesler, Wilbert M.
  • Arcury, Thomas A.
  • Skelly, Anne H.

Abstract

Chronic disease is a significant and costly social problem. The burden is even more pronounced in communities with high rates of a particular chronic disease. Assessment of health belief systems and the local geographies of health beliefs can assist community health planners to create cost-effective strategic intervention programs where populations are at high risk for chronic diseases. In this paper, we elaborate the concept of socio-spatial knowledge networks (SSKNs) and demonstrate that SSKNs can be useful in informing the design of health care prevention strategies. In our project, we demonstrate how to identify key socio-spatial information for intervention strategies which will prevent or delay the onset of a particular chronic disease, Type 2 diabetes. Our qualitative framework allows us to determine which sites might be best characterized as socio-spatial knowledge network nodes for sharing diabetes information and which sites might be less suited to such exchange. Our strategy explores cross-cultural similarities, differences, and overlap in a multi-ethnic rural North Carolina context through simple techniques such as mapping social networks and sites in which people share their knowledge and beliefs about diabetes. This geographical analysis allows us to examine exactly where health knowledge coincides with other social support, and where such resources may be improved in a particular community. Knowing precisely what people in a community understand about a chronic disease and its treatment or prevention and knowing where people go to share that information helps to (1) identify strategic locations within a community for future interventions and, (2) evaluate the effectiveness of existing interventions. The geographical approach presented here is one that can serve other communities and health practitioners who hope to improve chronic disease management in diverse local environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Cravey, Altha J. & Washburn, Sarah A. & Gesler, Wilbert M. & Arcury, Thomas A. & Skelly, Anne H., 2001. "Developing socio-spatial knowledge networks: : a qualitative methodology for chronic disease prevention," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 52(12), pages 1763-1775, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:52:y:2001:i:12:p:1763-1775
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    Cited by:

    1. Yan Han & Yuehui Liang, 2023. "Scientific Knowledge Map Study of Therapeutic Landscapes and Community Open Spaces: Visual Analysis with CiteSpace," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-19, October.
    2. Arlette S. Saint Ville & Gordon M. Hickey & Uli Locher & Leroy E. Phillip, 2016. "Exploring the role of social capital in influencing knowledge flows and innovation in smallholder farming communities in the Caribbean," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(3), pages 535-549, June.
    3. J. Christopher Westland & Jian Mou & Dafei Yin, 2018. "Prediction of Shared Bicycle Demand with Wavelet Thresholding," Papers 1802.02683, arXiv.org.
    4. Andersen, Poul Houman, 2006. "Listening to the global grapevine: SME export managers' personal contacts as a vehicle for export information generation," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 81-96, February.

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