Social Systems & Allied
Research

The Social Systems and Allied Research Group (SSARG) conducts research focused on improving the quality of life of agricultural producers, their families, and other limited resource clientele in communities across Texas and the USA. Emphasis areas include health services, impacts of COVID-19 on socially disadvantaged agricultural producers and improving disaster education programs offered through the PVAMU-Cooperative Extension Program (CEP).

Several issues impact how families fare in terms of quality of life (QOL). In large part, QOL is influenced by the social determinants of health (SDOH). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines SDOH as conditions in the environments where people exist (live, work play etc.) that affect their health, QOL outcomes and risks, and how they function. The agency groups SDOH into five domains.

They are as follows:

1). Economic stability,

2). Education access and quality,

3) Health care access and quality,

4). Neighborhood and Build Environment, and

5). Social and Community Context.

Local, State, and national challenges associated with the SDOH are amplified by global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The interdisciplinary SSARG team conducts research focused on the five SDOH domains.