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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Culture

Examining the Relationship Between Health Literacy and the Primary Source of Information for Healthcare Services among Rural Residents
Analyzes relationships between health literacy and use of the internet, community newsletters, television, text-based communication, and other methods as a primary source for healthcare services information among 464 survey respondents living in Oklahoma's rural Tillman and Harmon counties. Discusses how health communication strategies can be tailored by information source for different rural groups to improve healthcare information sharing and access to services.
Author(s): Xuewei Chen, Tao Hu, Rose W. Njoroge, Ming Li, Gary Kreps
Citation: Health Behavior Research, 8(4)
Date: 10/2025
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Supporting Individuals With Cognitive Impairment and Family Members in Rural Communities: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Digital Health Study
Study protocol for the Northern Arizona Memory Study (NAZMS), which will support dementia risk identification and promote understanding of cognitive health needs and supports via surveys and interviews of Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) caregiver and care-receiver dyads in rural Northern Arizona. Details study design and implementation, and highlights the importance of culturally-tailored, accessible, and practical ADRD care supports and interventions for rural and tribal families in Arizona.
Author(s): Eric S. Cerino, Megan C. McCoy, Margarita Martinez, et al.
Citation: JMIR Research Protocols, 14, e77958
Date: 10/2025
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"No Rest for Me Tonight": A Social-Ecological Exploration of Insomnia in Rural Appalachian Women
Examines individual, social, and societal factors associated with insomnia among rural, Appalachian women in Kentucky, analyzing and providing excerpts from interviews with 46 women with self-reported insomnia symptoms. Details the high impact of insomnia on women in rural Appalachia and identifies cultural factors influencing insomnia prevalence and treatment.
Author(s): Mairead E. Moloney, Daniela C. Moga, Michael Grandner, Nancy Schoenberg
Citation: Sleep Health, 11(5), 717-723
Date: 10/2025
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Opportunities and Barriers to Engaging Caregivers in Firearm Suicide Prevention: Findings from Focus Groups with Caregivers of Veterans
Examines barriers and facilitators of conversations related to lethal means safety (LMS) among family members and significant others (caregivers) who live with or provide support to veterans, veterans at risk of suicide, and healthcare providers. Identifies themes from discussions with 32 caregivers, including discussion of rural attitudes toward firearm ownership and safety.
Author(s): Katherine MacWilliams, John Marmion, Dee Blascyk, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 12, 59
Date: 09/2025
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Rural Life, Rural Healthcare, and Telehealth: An Interpretive Phenomenology Study
Explores themes related to healthcare access, telehealth use, and rural life contexts among 16 adults in rural and remote areas of California. Details interviewee perceptions of healthcare availability, geographic and environmental influences on healthcare access, benefits and drawbacks of telehealth use, and more.
Author(s): Meghan Rowe Ferrara, Susan A. Chapman
Citation: Rural Sociology, 90(3), e70016
Date: 08/2025
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Six Strategies for Engaging Rural Communities in Teen Pregnancy Prevention Research and Programming
Tip sheet on communication strategies related to teen pregnancy and STI prevention for rural health researchers and practitioners. Highlights the value of humility, flexibility, and reciprocity in health communication and discusses examples and best practices from the Mousehouse Family Health Study sexual health intervention in Georgia.
Author(s): Asari Offiong, André Marria, Alyssa Scott, Elizabeth Cook, Jennifer Manlove
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Child Trends
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Rural Patients' Experiences with Diagnosis and Treatment of Endometrial Cancer
Examines healthcare and treatment quality related to endometrial cancer (EC) in rural patients. Utilizes interview feedback from 22 patients and 1 caregiver in rural North Carolina on perceptions and knowledge of EC symptoms, social network influence, financial and transportation burdens, healthcare experiences, community perceptions, and more.
Author(s): Victoria M. Petermann, Brianna D. Taffe, Blen M. Biru, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70065
Date: 08/2025
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Arizona Tribal Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment
Reports on maternal and child health needs for the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population in Arizona, including health indicator and community survey data on topics such as mental health, education, nutrition, public health communication, and more. Discusses tribal health topics throughout, with additional rural-specific data presented on pages 14-19.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, American Indian Research Center for Health
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Experts of HAC: Dr. Stephen Sugg on Rural Placemaking and the Power of Community-Led Design
An interview with Dr. Stephen Sugg about rural placemaking and the relationship among arts, culture, design, economic development, community identity, and housing. Provides examples of successful placemaking in rural communities across the United States.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Palliative Video Consultation and Symptom Distress Among Rural Inpatients: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Results of a study to assess whether culturally-based palliative care video consultation improves symptom distress compared with usual inpatient care without palliative care. Uses data collected from July 2020 to December 2023 from 3 rural hospitals in Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina.
Author(s): Marie A. Bakitas, Shena Gazaway, Felicia Underwood, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2519426
Date: 07/2025
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