Census Tract Demographics Associated with Libraries’ Social, Economic, and Health-Related Programming

Sasha A. Fleary · Carolina Gonçalves · Patrece L. Joseph · Dwayne Marshall Baker

6 citations0/0 files storedInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

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Library Science and Administration Health disparities and outcomes Public Health and Social Inequalities

Abstract

Background: Public libraries can contribute to reducing economic, social, and health inequities through their programming and practices. However, the extent to which libraries regularly provide programming that improve the social determinants of health (SDH) in underserved communities is unclear. Objective: This study explored the relationship between census tract demographic characteristics and library programming implicated in the SDH for underserved groups at risk for health disparities. Method: A stratified random sample of libraries (n = 235) who completed the 2017 Public Libraries Survey were recruited. Librarians completed surveys about their libraries’ economic, social, and health-related programming. Libraries’ census tract demographic characteristics were taken from the 2013–2017 American Community Survey. Linear regressions were estimated to determine the relationship between relevant census tract demographic characteristics and programming offered at libraries in the census tracts. Results: Higher proportions of racial and ethnic minorities were associated with more frequent economic and social programs, but results were mixed for health-related programs. Lower proportions of populations with no more than a high school diploma or GED were related to more frequent economic, social, and health-related programs. Conclusions: The inequitable distribution of SDH-related library programming highlights gaps in libraries’ responsiveness to community needs. Libraries’ programming likely perpetuate systemic inequities.

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2005Social determinants of health inequalities 2014What is the impact of mental health-related stigma on help-seeking? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies 2018The Relationship Between Education and Health: Reducing Disparities Through a Contextual Approach 2016Understanding associations among race, socioeconomic status, and health: Patterns and prospects.2012Fair Society Healthy Lives 2010Fair Society Healthy Lives 2011Mental illness stigma and ethnocultural beliefs, values, and norms: An integrative review 2020The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

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2025Navigating Crises: How Public Libraries Support Community Resilience in the Midwestern United States 2024A Study on How Libraries Operate as Health Spaces in the United States 2026Applying Organizational Health Literacy Attributes to Integrate Health in the Library 2023Correction: Fleary et al. Census Tract Demographics Associated with Libraries’ Social, Economic, and Health-Related Programming. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 6598

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