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Rural Health Information Hub

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

Rural Libraries Help Communities Access Health Information
Features rural libraries in South Carolina, Vermont, and Washington that support population health in their communities by providing monthly programs and teaching patrons and staff how to access reliable health information online.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Implementing Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change Through Community Coalitions and Extension Partnerships to Address Obesity in Rural Louisiana
Program evaluation brief describing obesity prevention programs implemented by community coalitions in 3 rural parishes with obesity rates of 40% or higher. Examines implications for public health.
Author(s): Denise Holston, Jessica Stroope, Melissa Cater, Michelle Kendall, Stephanie Broyles
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 02/2020
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Tanner Health System: Promoting Healthy Behaviors
Describes "Get Healthy, Eat Well," an initiative by Tanner Health System to promote healthy behaviors in its rural Georgia and Alabama communities. Provides an overview of the framework that guided the network of community partners, school and community interventions, and results of the program. Includes lessons learned and next steps.
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The Motivations and Needs of Rural, Low-Income Household Food Gardeners
Results of a study using surveys, interviews, and garden visits to households in rural, western Pennsylvania to explore behavior and motivations of rural food gardeners, and the challenges they face. Discusses the financial, spiritual, and ecological value of gardening, and opportunities for community support.
Author(s): Kate J. Darby, Taylor Hinton, Joaquin Torre
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 9(2), 55-69
Date: 01/2020
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Rural Community Action Guide: Building Stronger, Healthy, Drug-Free Rural Communities
Provides an overview of challenges rural communities face related to substance use disorder (SUD), including prescription opioid misuse. Identifies action steps rural communities can take related to prevention, treatment, recovery, and SUD-related issues such as stigma, transportation barriers, and lack of employment opportunities. Features programs that are working to address these issues in rural communities.
Additional links: Promising Practices Supplement
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of National Drug Control Policy
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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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