Rural Health
Resources by State: Tennessee
Rural Obstetrical Care Workforce: A State-Level Analysis
Provides fact sheets on the rural obstetrical care workforce for select states in 2025. Includes maps and tables providing county-level data and rural-urban comparisons of provider to population ratios for obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, and midwives.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Provides fact sheets on the rural obstetrical care workforce for select states in 2025. Includes maps and tables providing county-level data and rural-urban comparisons of provider to population ratios for obstetricians, advanced practice midwives, and midwives.
Author(s): S.C. Woolcock, C.H.A. Andrilla, L.A. Garberson, J.M. Graves
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Tennessee Child Fatality 2024 Annual Report
Detailed review of deaths of Tennessee children ages 0-17 in 2022. Includes a section on the Sources of Strength program, an initiative to promote mental health and prevent suicides in rural communities.
Additional links: Infographic
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Detailed review of deaths of Tennessee children ages 0-17 in 2022. Includes a section on the Sources of Strength program, an initiative to promote mental health and prevent suicides in rural communities.
Additional links: Infographic
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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A Cross-Sectional Study of Stigma Towards Opioid Users among Rural Law Enforcement and Community Members in Tennessee
Examines stigma toward people who use opioids among 48 law enforcement officers (LEOs) and 393 community members in rural Tennessee. Compares perceptions of opioid use and opioid user demographics among LEOs and community members, including data on attitudes related to dangerousness, blame, social distance, and fatalism. Discusses the effects of stigma on access to harm reduction and treatment for opioid use disorder.
Author(s): Kahler W. Stone, Gabrielle M. Chesak, Angela S. Bowman, Michael Ayalon, Cynthia Chafin
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 195
Date: 11/2024
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Examines stigma toward people who use opioids among 48 law enforcement officers (LEOs) and 393 community members in rural Tennessee. Compares perceptions of opioid use and opioid user demographics among LEOs and community members, including data on attitudes related to dangerousness, blame, social distance, and fatalism. Discusses the effects of stigma on access to harm reduction and treatment for opioid use disorder.
Author(s): Kahler W. Stone, Gabrielle M. Chesak, Angela S. Bowman, Michael Ayalon, Cynthia Chafin
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 195
Date: 11/2024
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Social Isolation and Loneliness Prevention among Rural Older Adults Aging-in-Place: A Needs Assessment
Surveyed 82 rural older adults aging in place in rural Appalachian Tennessee to determined local factors contributing to social isolation and loneliness. Discusses neighborhood conditions, interpersonal relationships and activities, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Offers rural-specific strategies for addressing social isolation and loneliness in rural communities.
Author(s): Jodi L. Southerland, Shimin Zheng, Kayla Dodson, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1404869
Date: 10/2024
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Surveyed 82 rural older adults aging in place in rural Appalachian Tennessee to determined local factors contributing to social isolation and loneliness. Discusses neighborhood conditions, interpersonal relationships and activities, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Offers rural-specific strategies for addressing social isolation and loneliness in rural communities.
Author(s): Jodi L. Southerland, Shimin Zheng, Kayla Dodson, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1404869
Date: 10/2024
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Loneliness and Alcohol Use Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Appalachia
Results of a study exploring the association between loneliness and various levels of alcohol use in 2020-2021 among 310 college students ages 18-25 in a rural, underserved region of Appalachian Tennessee. Features demographics with breakdowns including rural, suburban, or urban background.
Author(s): Manik Ahuja, Rachel Miller-Slough, Esther Adebayo-Abikoye, et al.
Citation: Chronic Stress, 8
Date: 08/2024
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Results of a study exploring the association between loneliness and various levels of alcohol use in 2020-2021 among 310 college students ages 18-25 in a rural, underserved region of Appalachian Tennessee. Features demographics with breakdowns including rural, suburban, or urban background.
Author(s): Manik Ahuja, Rachel Miller-Slough, Esther Adebayo-Abikoye, et al.
Citation: Chronic Stress, 8
Date: 08/2024
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Never Underestimate the Power of Community
Provides an overview of the Tennessee Department of Health's efforts to improve public health and emergency response strategies for extreme heat days in 2 rural Tennessee counties. Discusses planning, implementation, and cooperation with health professionals and community members.
Author(s): Kimberly Harrell
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Provides an overview of the Tennessee Department of Health's efforts to improve public health and emergency response strategies for extreme heat days in 2 rural Tennessee counties. Discusses planning, implementation, and cooperation with health professionals and community members.
Author(s): Kimberly Harrell
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Improving Pain Self-Management Among Rural Older Adults With Cancer
Results of a study to test the feasibility, acceptability, and changes in pain outcomes from exposure to the Cancer Health Empowerment for Living without Pain, an intervention designed to help patients' communicate effectively with their clinicians. Uses data from interviews with 30 older adults with cancer who were residing in a noninstitutional rural setting and receiving outpatient care at a rural-based clinic in Tennessee in May 2022. Features demographics and statistics on type and stage of cancer.
Author(s): Megan J. Shen, Tammy Stokes, Sarah Yarborough, Jill Harrison
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(7), e2421298
Date: 07/2024
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Results of a study to test the feasibility, acceptability, and changes in pain outcomes from exposure to the Cancer Health Empowerment for Living without Pain, an intervention designed to help patients' communicate effectively with their clinicians. Uses data from interviews with 30 older adults with cancer who were residing in a noninstitutional rural setting and receiving outpatient care at a rural-based clinic in Tennessee in May 2022. Features demographics and statistics on type and stage of cancer.
Author(s): Megan J. Shen, Tammy Stokes, Sarah Yarborough, Jill Harrison
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(7), e2421298
Date: 07/2024
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Fetal Death in Tennessee, 2017-2021: 2024 Report
Describes the characteristics and trends of reportable fetal deaths in Tennessee from 2017-2021. Features statistics including fetal mortality rate with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Describes the characteristics and trends of reportable fetal deaths in Tennessee from 2017-2021. Features statistics including fetal mortality rate with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Evaluation of the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model: Third Annual Report (Implementation Year 2)
Provides an overview of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model, which provides evidence-based integrated care and care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes activities MOM Model awardees undertook during the MOM Model's second implementation year, July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023. Discusses barriers pregnant and postpartum women with OUD face in accessing high-quality, continuous care, specifically in rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Insight Policy Research
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Provides an overview of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model, which provides evidence-based integrated care and care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes activities MOM Model awardees undertook during the MOM Model's second implementation year, July 1, 2022–June 30, 2023. Discusses barriers pregnant and postpartum women with OUD face in accessing high-quality, continuous care, specifically in rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Insight Policy Research
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Health Disparities in Tennessee
Examines health disparities experienced by Tennessee residents. Measures include life expectancy, health equity, healthcare access, mental health and trauma, infectious disease, chronic disease, cancer, reproductive health, and age-specific health. Features statistics with breakdowns by race, ethnicity, sex, and urban or rural location.
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Examines health disparities experienced by Tennessee residents. Measures include life expectancy, health equity, healthcare access, mental health and trauma, infectious disease, chronic disease, cancer, reproductive health, and age-specific health. Features statistics with breakdowns by race, ethnicity, sex, and urban or rural location.
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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