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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Children and youth

Maintenance of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Behaviors Among Adolescents and Their Caregivers: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Examines intake of sugar-sweetened beverages among rural, Central Appalachian students and their caregivers at 19 months after their participation in the Kids SIPsmartER behavior-change intervention, which focused on reducing intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) via classroom-based lessons for middle school students and an SMS strategy for their caregivers.
Author(s): Annie Reid, Wen You, Theresa Markwalter, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240520
Date: 06/2025
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2025
Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations related to transitions from pediatric to adult care for Medicaid-covered children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Also discusses appropriate access to residential behavioral health treatment services for children, findings from MACPAC's analytic work on access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Medicaid, an overview on the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and self-direction for Medicaid home- and community-based services. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Spotlighting Programs: A Panel Discussion on Exceptional Nutrition Service Delivery
A recorded webinar that focuses on successful nutrition service delivery in Head Start programs across the United States. Highlights actionable strategies from the various food delivery services, including programming specific to rural, remote, and geographically dispersed areas.
Additional links: Webinar Slides
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Rural Dependency Ratios Higher Than Urban Ratios in 2023, Indicating a Greater Need in Rural Areas for Caregiving for Children and Older Adults
Bar graph showing dependency ratios comparing the number of youth or older people for every 100 working-age people in 2023. Features breakdowns by 5 levels of population density.
Author(s): Richelle L. Winkler
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2023 Data: Children
Fact sheet containing information on fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes involving children 14 years of age and younger. Includes statistics on child traffic fatality rates per 100,000 child population and fatality rates by age group from 2014-2023, passenger vehicle occupants by survival status, age group, and restraint use in 2023, driver's blood alcohol level in fatal crashes, and percentages of child pedestrian and child pedalcyclist fatalities with breakdowns by urban and rural location. Features tables with child fatalities by state and age group in 2023.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Federal and State Reimbursement for Youth Behavioral Health Services
Report details Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of behavioral health services for rural people under 21 years of age. Breaks down reimbursement eligibility for behavioral health providers in all 50 states and discusses barriers to access in rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Vitamin D Deficiency and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among American Indian Adolescents: The Strong Heart Family Study
Examines Vitamin D deficiency in adolescents from 12 tribal communities and the correlation with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Utilizes data from sovereign tribal nations located in multiple U.S. states and provides breakdowns on adolescents' demographic profiles, health status, and Vitamin D deficiency status.
Author(s): Jessica A. Reese, Erin Davis, Amanda M. Fretts, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 04/2025
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Occupant Restraint Use in 2023: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study
Presents results from the 2023 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2022 and 2023 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Lacey B. Werth
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Children's Advocacy Centers: Literature Review: A Product of the Model Programs Guide
A literature review discussing the history of children's advocacy centers (CACs), characteristics of CACs and their services, characteristics of children using CACs, and their effectiveness. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
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How Latine Youth's Positive Development Unfold Through Farmwork in Rural Migrant Farmworker Families in the U.S. Midwest
Presents a study on the experiences of Latine youth in rural farmworker communities and evaluates their behavioral health and well-being. Aims to evaluate prosocial behaviors, civic responsibility, and ego-resiliency based on their experiences.
Author(s): Xue Jiang, Zoe E. Taylor, Gustavo Carlo, et al.
Citation: Journal of Research on Adolescence, 35(1), e13053
Date: 03/2025
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