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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Appalachia

Health Disparities Related to Obesity in Appalachia: Practical Strategies and Recommendations for Communities
Offers statistics on obesity in rural Appalachian communities. Highlights strategies and resources to prevent and reduce obesity. Covers recommendations to assist policymakers, funders, and leaders working to reduce obesity related health disparities.
Author(s): Kate Beatty, Nathan Hale, Michael Meit, et al.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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Health Disparities Related to Opioid Misuse in Appalachia: Practical Strategies and Recommendations for Communities
Offers statistics on opioid misuse and overdose deaths in rural Appalachian communities. Highlights strategies and resources to address opioid issues. Covers recommendations to assist policymakers, funders, and leaders working to reduce opioid related health disparities.
Author(s): Kate Beatty, Nathan Hale, Michael Meit, et al.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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Resilient Rural America: Southeast Kentucky
Series of articles about the challenges of life in rural southeast Kentucky. Includes discussion of Mountain Moms, an Appalachian Kentucky support group for low-income women who have experienced domestic violence. Part of the Resilient Rural America series.
Author(s): Blake Tommey
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Baptist News Global
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Cancer-Related Beliefs and Perceptions in Appalachia: Findings from 3 States
Highlights a study on the beliefs and perceptions about cancer held by people in Appalachia. Bases conclusions on the results of a survey of rural Appalachian counties in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Robin C. Vanderpool, Bin Huang, Yangyang Deng, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 35(2), 176-188
Date: 03/2019
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Estimating the Number of People Who Inject Drugs in A Rural County in Appalachia
Demonstrates how a group of researchers conducted data collection in Cabell County, West Virginia in June and July 2018, to estimate the number of people who inject drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Features statistics including demographics and breakdowns by type of drug injected.
Author(s): Sean T. Allen, Allison O'Rourke, Rebecca Hamilton White, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 445-450
Date: 03/2019
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Using Network and Spatial Data to Better Target Overdose Prevention Strategies in Rural Appalachia
Highlights a study aiming to target individuals most likely to need overdose interventions in rural Appalachia. Examines survey data for spatial and networking patterns in rural eastern Kentucky to identify individuals at risk of a drug overdose.
Author(s): Abby E. Rudolph, April M. Young, Jennifer R. Havens
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 96(1), 27-37
Date: 02/2019
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Exposures to the Tobacco Retail Environment among Adolescent Boys in Urban and Rural Environments
Presents a study on the exposure of rural and urban adolescents to tobacco retailers. Looks at the number of self-reported visits to tobacco stores by adolescent males in urban and Appalachian regions of Ohio.
Author(s): Montgomry L. Burgoon, Thomas Albani, Brittney Keller-Hamilton, et al.
Citation: The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 45(2), 217-226
Date: 01/2019
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Rural Health Care Access: Research Report
Summarizes rural health priorities for rural and Appalachian counties to assist local public health departments in Ohio with the public health accreditation process. Provides information on access to healthcare services in rural and Appalachian counties and covers strategies to improve access to care.
Author(s): Michele Morrone, Cory Cronin, Shannon Nicks, Kristin Schuller
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: The Appalachian Institute to Advance Health Equity Science
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SOAR Impact Report 2019
Annual report from Shaping Our Appalachian Region, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding job creation, improving quality of life, and enhancing opportunity, innovation, and identity in Appalachian Kentucky. Includes a section on the UNITE Rural Health Opioid Program, a Kentucky River Region initiative begun in January 2019 with the goal of reducing morbidity and mortality related to opioid use disorders.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: Shaping Our Appalachian Region
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Healthy Eating and Active Living Through an Equity Lens
Describes how three predominantly Black North Carolina communities in rural Appalachia addressed their health disparities and improved quality of life with the establishment of a community garden and the promotion of active living.
Author(s): Laura Gerald
Citation: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2019
Date: 2019
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