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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Community and faith-based initiatives

Connecting Rural Older Americans with Technology: Lessons from Senior Planet
Highlights an initiative aiming to increase technology literacy among rural older adults in New York through the launch of technology centers, local partnerships, and training. Discusses implementation and lessons learned, including adapting the program to offer a home-based component.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Senior Planet
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Ten-Year Reflections on the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
Discussion of how data, evidence, guidance, and examples used in County Health Rankings & Roadmaps publications from January 2009 - January 2019 have helped communities improve the conditions in which their residents live. Examines how the methodology has changed over time, and includes a section on how the researchers adapted their methods so as to appropriately analyze data from rural areas with small populations.
Author(s): Bridget Booske Catlin, Willems Van Dijk
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
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Evidence-Based Practice for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response
Reviews evidence on public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEPR) practices and improvements necessary to strengthen the PHEPR system. Focuses on training of community-based partners to improve the outcomes of at-risk populations, activation of an emergency operations center, communication of alerts and guidance to technical audiences during an emergency, and implementation of quarantines.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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A Healthy Attitude: Rural Leaders in TN County Organize to Address Well-Being in Appalachia
Describes ways in which local leaders in Grundy County, Tennessee implemented programs to promote physical activity, support children and families, increase access to philanthropic resources, and establish a working relationship with a nearby university.
Author(s): Tim Marema, Erin Bouldin
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 2(1), 60-64
Date: 2020
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Development and Early Outcomes of the Watauga Compassionate Community Initiative, North Carolina
Examines the work of a rural North Carolina community group dedicated to promoting health and resiliency on the local level, by preventing childhood trauma and helping adults who had adverse childhood experiences. Describes their organizing model, including goals of raising awareness, using data to inform actions, and creating context for health families through policies.
Author(s): Tim Marema, Erin Bouldin
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 2(1), 41-46
Date: 2020
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School-based Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program for Increasing Vaccine Uptake in an Underserved Area in Texas
Study comparing community-based Human Papillomavirus (HPV) education with school-based vaccination paired with education in a rural area in Texas. Draws data from 2,307 middle school students between August 2016 – April 2018. Discusses the impact of having on-site vaccination events in addition to community-based education.
Author(s): Sapna Kaul, Thuy Quynh N. Do, Enshuo Hsu, et al.
Citation: Papillomavirus Research, 8, 100189
Date: 12/2019
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The Strong African American Families Program Improves Lives of Rural African American Youth
Video with transcript, describing a program developed by the Center for Family Research at the University of Georgia, designed to foster wellbeing and improve outcomes for rural African American young people ages 10-14. Describes challenges they face, and explores ways in which the program strengthens parenting, promotes youth protective factors, and decreases the likelihood that participants will engage in high-risk behaviors, including substance abuse.
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Institute on Drug Abuse
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Community-Driven Strategies to Address Stigma and Build Healthier Communities in Maine
Describes 3 communities working to reduce stigma in order to create equitable systems that enhance the health and well-being of Maine residents. Presents community responses to reducing stigma, common themes, and implications for complex system change initiatives in health.
Author(s): Susan Foster, Teresa Doksum
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Maine Health Access Foundation
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Promising Practice: Sowing the Seeds of Healthy Eating in Rural Indiana
Illustrates how a training and education program for rural residents living in 7 rural communities within the New Allen Alliance (NAA), a partnership of communities in eastern Allen County, Indiana, encourages healthy cooking, access to healthy foods, and improved health.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Disrupting Food Insecurity: Steps Communities Can Take
Offers possible solutions to challenges that affect families' ability to afford a healthy diet. Explores strategies developed specifically to meet needs of overlooked rural communities, including help with housing and transportation.
Additional links: Interactive Data Dashboard
Author(s): Caroline Ratcliffe, Elaine Waxman, Cary Lou, Hannah Hassani, Victoria Tran
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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