An Analysis of the Health Disparities for Traumatic Brain Injury Care in Urban vs. Rural Populations
Date
8-29-2025
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Shannon Williamson
Keywords
trauma, brain, disparities, outcome, resource, traumatic brain injuries
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
Recommended Citation
Russell, Jeremy R., "An Analysis of the Health Disparities for Traumatic Brain Injury Care in Urban vs. Rural Populations" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7424.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7424
Abstract
The purpose of this quantitative research study was to examine how disparities between urban and rural environments impacted the amount, onset, and duration of care received by patients with mild traumatic brain injury, as well as differences in demographic characteristics such as age and gender. Mild TBIs, often referred to as concussions, involve a temporary disruption in brain function resulting from external force, leading to symptoms like confusion, dizziness, or memory issues. Guided by critical theory, this study explored how systemic structures contributed to unequal healthcare experiences. Since TBIs remained a leading cause of disability and death with potential long-term cognitive and physiological effects (Sabet et al., 2021), understanding how location influenced care delivery was essential to informing equitable treatment strategies. Medical records from 4,875 patients were reviewed to assess whether differences existed between urban and rural patients in admission status, treatment onset, duration of care, and demographics. Descriptive statistics summarized the data, and inferential analyses, including chi-square and independent-samples t-tests, were conducted to compare groups. Results showed no statistically significant differences between urban and rural patients regarding the amount, timing, or duration of care. However, significant differences were observed in demographics: rural patients were more likely to be older and male. These findings suggested that while mild TBI care was generally consistent across regions, the populations receiving care differed demographically. The study underscored the need to address rural healthcare access through infrastructure and telemedicine and encouraged further research on long-term TBI outcomes across diverse populations.
