Deb Strohmaier

WSU research shows very rural elders receive fewest services

Aug. 24, 2020 Older adults living in very rural settings are less likely than those living closer to urban centers to receive available services in health, nutrition and transportation, according to a new study by a Washington State University scientist. Raven Weaver, assistant professor in WSU’s Department of Human Development, and her coauthor Karen Roberto […]

New WSU study of young people who have asthma is recruiting participants to test a phone app

Aug. 12, 2020 WSU study will use phone app to help people with asthma during wildfire season Young people who have asthma will test a phone app to help them manage their condition during wildfire season in a Washington State University College of Nursing-led study that’s getting under way. The study is currently recruiting participants […]

WSU scientists develop COVID-19 tracking tool for rural areas

SPOKANE, Wash. (July 29, 2020) – Scientists at Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine have launched one of the first tracking tools that provides a daily snapshot into COVID-19 cases in rural communities across the country. Using data from The New York Times and other sources, the COVID Urban Rural Explorer (CURE) focuses specifically on highlighting rural […]

Nonprofits need funds to help vulnerable

Guest Opinion for the Spokesman-Review, Spokane By Paul Whitney and Anna Zamora-Kapoor (May 13, 2020)  People are scared, and for good reason: The coronavirus is an equal opportunity threat. But in this case equal opportunity does not mean equal impact. People who were already disadvantaged before the pandemic disproportionately suffer the most serious consequences of COVID-19. Systemic discrimination, stagnant incomes and less access to preventive health care […]

Could COVID-19 be the death of Washington’s community health resources?

Guest Opinion for The Wenatchee World By Paul Whitney and Anna Zamora-Kapoor (April 28, 2020)  People are scared, and for good reason: The coronavirus is an equal opportunity threat. But in this case equal opportunity does not mean equal impact. People who were already disadvantaged before the pandemic disproportionately suffer the most serious consequences of […]

Inequity and Homeownership

Dr. Michael McDonell, associate professor with the Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, discusses the importance of affordable housing and access to it.

Characteristics of place and the rural disadvantage in deaths from highly preventable causes

As published in Social Science & Medicine, January 2020. The social conditions of individuals’ residential environments actively shape their health outcomes. Rural adults are more likely to die from the most highly preventable causes (HPC) Place-level socioeconomic advantage negatively associates with HPC Policies to improve socioeconomic conditions will decrease mortality disparities Social Science & Medicine, […]

Hearing Impairment, Household Composition, Marital Status, and Mortality Among U.S. Adults

A new study published in the Journals of Gerontology: Series B, supported by HERC  Hearing impairment represents an important contributor to the length of life for adults age 40 and older, independent of other important and established determinants of mortality. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, gbz157, Hearing Impairment, Household Composition, Marital Status, and Mortality […]