{"id":4785,"date":"2023-09-15T14:28:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T14:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/?p=4785"},"modified":"2024-02-22T19:34:15","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T19:34:15","slug":"health-broadband","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fchealth.org\/health-broadband\/","title":{"rendered":"HEALTH & BROADBAND"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Health & Broadband<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The simple fact that internet access has become an essential component of Americans\u2019 daily life has only been exacerbated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, broadband access is far from universal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term broadband itself refers\u202fto various high-capacity technologies that transmit data, voice, and video across long distances and at high speeds. While research in this area is incomplete at best, the correlation between increasing broadband access and improved health outcomes is significant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the overlap with other social determinants of health (such as education and employment), broadband access is now considered a \u201csuper-determinant\u201d of health \u2014 in other words, a key environmental factor capable of determining the overall health of any given community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

KEY CHALLENGES<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

RURALITY<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

In rural communities, the digital divide remains vast \u2014 as evidenced by the 19 million Americans lacking access to reliable broadband service (or high-speed internet)  according to the FCC. In the absence of this critical infrastructure, the broadband health gap (defined as the time and distance between doctors and patients) is widening as well. Outcomes clearly show the least connected communities exhibiting the highest rates of chronic disease, with obesity and diabetes prevalence \u2014 a whopping 25% and 41% higher respectively \u2014 leading the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the advent of telehealth has been shown to reduce health disparities, especially in rural regions with fewer healthcare providers and lack of public transportation to access them, the platform is dependent upon broadband access \u2014 leaving this much-needed resource, namely as a means of addressing gaps in mental health and substance use treatment, largely untapped. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marginalized Communities<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Disparities in broadband access continue to persist among certain demographic groups \u2014 including racial and ethnic minorities; those individuals residing on Tribal lands; older adults; and those with lower levels of education and income \u2014 all of whom are less likely to have broadband at home. A report by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) revealed that, in 2021, rates of wired, high-speed internet use were lower in \u201chouseholds where the main renter or owner was 65 years or older, had a disability, or was a Hispanic, African American, American Indian, or Alaska Native.\u201d Furthermore, over 8 in 10 households earning above $100,000 used high-speed internet service at home during the same period when compared with just 5 in 10 households earning income below $25,000. Complicating the issue is the fact that while socioeconomic factors including education and employment have been shown to play an important role in health outcomes, lack of broadband among marginalized populations severely limits access to these opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PROMISING IDEAS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Efforts to deepen the understanding between broadband access and health outcomes are thriving. In the eight years since the mere concept of broadband connectivity as a social determinant of health was first introduced, it has grown to be recognized as a super determinant of health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

promoting digital equity<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Efforts to address the gap \u2014 by funding broadband and expanding telehealth availability \u2014 remain on the rise across the country. Individual households can apply to take part in the FCC\u2019s Affordable Connectivity Program<\/mark><\/a> which provides eligible households a $30 monthly discount toward the cost of internet services. The National Broadband Map<\/mark><\/a>, which allows individuals to add, correct or file address-specific\u00a0information\/challenges\u00a0directly with the FCC, generates the data necessary to deliver broadband to underserved communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ongoing research<\/em><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Integral to their Advancing Broadband Connectivity as a Social Determinant of Health Initiative, the Connect2Health FCC Task Force created the Mapping Broadband Health in America<\/mark><\/a> \u2014 a platform aimed at enabling users to visualize the intersection of broadband and health data at national, state, and county levels. To date, research has revealed that \u201cinternet adoption appears to have an even stronger correlation to health outcomes, even after controlling statistically for other potentially confounding factors, such as education, income, and rurality.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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