Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Children and youth
Resourcefulness, Ingenuity, and Community Strengths in Meeting Rural Youth Mental Health Needs: A Multiple Case Study
Examines how rural schools strategize to meet mental health needs of their students. Utilizes interview and focus group data from 133 educators regarding their experiences of maximizing school resources, providing staff development and training, and developing social-emotional curricula.
Author(s): Aaron Leo, Jessie Tobin, Paul Guay, Kristen Campbell Wilcox
Citation: The Rural Educator, 47(3), 47-64
Date: 06/2026
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Examines how rural schools strategize to meet mental health needs of their students. Utilizes interview and focus group data from 133 educators regarding their experiences of maximizing school resources, providing staff development and training, and developing social-emotional curricula.
Author(s): Aaron Leo, Jessie Tobin, Paul Guay, Kristen Campbell Wilcox
Citation: The Rural Educator, 47(3), 47-64
Date: 06/2026
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Bullying Prevalence and Persistence in Rural and Urban Settings
Examines the characteristics of rural versus urban school bullying. Utilizes 2024 data from 1,250 students and provides rural versus urban breakdowns regarding timeline, social dynamics, frequency, perceived reason for, and type of bullying. Discusses the need for bullying interventions tailored for rural social contexts.
Author(s): Eric Landers, Juliann Sergi McBrayer, Monika Krah, Meredith A. Rausch
Citation: The Rural Educator, 47(3), 5-19
Date: 06/2026
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Examines the characteristics of rural versus urban school bullying. Utilizes 2024 data from 1,250 students and provides rural versus urban breakdowns regarding timeline, social dynamics, frequency, perceived reason for, and type of bullying. Discusses the need for bullying interventions tailored for rural social contexts.
Author(s): Eric Landers, Juliann Sergi McBrayer, Monika Krah, Meredith A. Rausch
Citation: The Rural Educator, 47(3), 5-19
Date: 06/2026
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Active Aging for L.I.F.E.: An Intergenerational Program to Improve Adolescents' Aging Attitudes in Rural Communities
Presents results of participation in Active Aging for L.I.F.E., a school-based intergenerational program focused on health literacy, health awareness, aging attitudes, and social connectedness, among 77 junior high and high school students in rural Oklahoma. Details how outcomes varied by sex and age.
Author(s): Xuewei Chen, Emily Roberts
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(7), 822
Date: 06/2026
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Presents results of participation in Active Aging for L.I.F.E., a school-based intergenerational program focused on health literacy, health awareness, aging attitudes, and social connectedness, among 77 junior high and high school students in rural Oklahoma. Details how outcomes varied by sex and age.
Author(s): Xuewei Chen, Emily Roberts
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(7), 822
Date: 06/2026
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Populations in All Age Groups Growing in the South, Driven by Outlying Counties in Metro Areas
Analyzes 2025 U.S. Census Bureau population data to describe distribution trends among 5 age groups between 2020 and 2025. Highlights trends within regions and counties including metropolitan, micropolitan, and nonmetropolitan counties.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Analyzes 2025 U.S. Census Bureau population data to describe distribution trends among 5 age groups between 2020 and 2025. Highlights trends within regions and counties including metropolitan, micropolitan, and nonmetropolitan counties.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Rural vs. Urban Patterns of Dental Care Services and Outcomes among Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Early Childhood
Describes rural and urban patterns of preventive and restorative dental care and oral health outcomes among Medicaid-enrolled children aged 2 through 5 in 2021-2022. Includes data on the percent of children who received any preventive dental services, children with fewer than 2 cleanings per year, and number of dental caries diagnosed each year by rurality.
Author(s): Cassie Odahowski, Joni Nelson, Amy Martin, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Describes rural and urban patterns of preventive and restorative dental care and oral health outcomes among Medicaid-enrolled children aged 2 through 5 in 2021-2022. Includes data on the percent of children who received any preventive dental services, children with fewer than 2 cleanings per year, and number of dental caries diagnosed each year by rurality.
Author(s): Cassie Odahowski, Joni Nelson, Amy Martin, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Testing Implementation Strategies for a Family Healthy Weight Program: Results From the Nebraska Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration 3.0 Pilot Trial
Examines the Building Healthy Families (BHF) Online Training Resources and Program Package that is used to help rural areas in Nebraska adopt and implement a family healthy weight program (FHWP). Analyzes a pilot study that implements the BHF Program Package with and without a learning collaborative option and discusses quality of online training resources, child engagement, implementation fidelity, and more.
Author(s): Jennie L. Hill, Kate A. Heelan, Bryce M. Abbey, et al.
Citation: Childhood Obesity Research, 4, 223-232
Date: 06/2026
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Examines the Building Healthy Families (BHF) Online Training Resources and Program Package that is used to help rural areas in Nebraska adopt and implement a family healthy weight program (FHWP). Analyzes a pilot study that implements the BHF Program Package with and without a learning collaborative option and discusses quality of online training resources, child engagement, implementation fidelity, and more.
Author(s): Jennie L. Hill, Kate A. Heelan, Bryce M. Abbey, et al.
Citation: Childhood Obesity Research, 4, 223-232
Date: 06/2026
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A Tour of Youth Behavioral Health Services Landscape: Prevalence, Treatment, and the Workforce
Webinar discussing the prevalence of youth mental health conditions, substance use, and treatment in rural areas, the distribution of the youth behavioral health workforce, and the state of Medicaid funding for these services.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Janessa Graves, Holly Andrilla, Lisa Garberson, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Health Research Gateway, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Webinar discussing the prevalence of youth mental health conditions, substance use, and treatment in rural areas, the distribution of the youth behavioral health workforce, and the state of Medicaid funding for these services.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Author(s): Janessa Graves, Holly Andrilla, Lisa Garberson, et al.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Health Research Gateway, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Whole Person Care During and After Pregnancy
Webinar discussing how integrated care teams can support maternal and infant health in Texas via oral health care, care coordination, collaboration, and other aspects of whole-person care. Discusses rural Texas communities throughout, with special focus on those in East Texas.
Author(s): Kia Parsi, Jacquelyn Alvarado, Stephen Patrick, Ankit Sanghavi
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Texas Health Institute, Texas Oral Health Coalition, Texas Primary Care Consortium
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Webinar discussing how integrated care teams can support maternal and infant health in Texas via oral health care, care coordination, collaboration, and other aspects of whole-person care. Discusses rural Texas communities throughout, with special focus on those in East Texas.
Author(s): Kia Parsi, Jacquelyn Alvarado, Stephen Patrick, Ankit Sanghavi
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Texas Health Institute, Texas Oral Health Coalition, Texas Primary Care Consortium
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A Comparative Analysis of Job Satisfaction and Intent to Leave Among Rural and Urban Caseworkers in Pennsylvania's Child Welfare Agencies
Findings from a survey of Pennsylvania child welfare caseworkers, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction, performance, and intent to leave. Recommends changes at the agency level and state-level policy changes related to child welfare caseworker workload, salaries, and funding. Features statistics including staff turnover from 2019-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and reported cases of child abuse in 2023 with breakdowns by county.
Additional links: Legislative Brief
Author(s): Yoon Mi Kim, George Kovarie, Soohyoung Rain Lee
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Findings from a survey of Pennsylvania child welfare caseworkers, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction, performance, and intent to leave. Recommends changes at the agency level and state-level policy changes related to child welfare caseworker workload, salaries, and funding. Features statistics including staff turnover from 2019-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and reported cases of child abuse in 2023 with breakdowns by county.
Additional links: Legislative Brief
Author(s): Yoon Mi Kim, George Kovarie, Soohyoung Rain Lee
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2026
Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations related to community engagement (CE) requirements in Medicaid, automation in prior authorization, Medicaid managed care accountability, appropriate access to residential treatment services for Medicaid-enrolled youth, transitions to adult Medicaid coverage for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), and provider enrollment and credentialing in Medicaid. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations related to community engagement (CE) requirements in Medicaid, automation in prior authorization, Medicaid managed care accountability, appropriate access to residential treatment services for Medicaid-enrolled youth, transitions to adult Medicaid coverage for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), and provider enrollment and credentialing in Medicaid. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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