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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Families

Working Families' Access to Early Childhood Education: Gaps in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont
Highlights a study on the lack of access to child care for working parents in a rural region on the border of Vermont and New Hampshire. Compares child care costs to the median family income of the area and discusses the policy implications of these gaps.
Author(s): Jessica A. Carson
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Rural Studies Program Food Insecurity in Oregon and the U.S.: Uneven Recovery in the Midst of Overall Improvement (2014-2016)
Describes the food insecurity rate in Oregon that is statistically higher than the rate for the U.S. Highlights the characteristics of the population affected by food insecurity including renters, single mothers, limited education, and rural versus urban.
Author(s): Mark Edwards
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Oregon State University Rural Studies Program, School of Public Policy and the Rural Studies Program
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A Prospective Study of Cancer Risk among Agricultural Health Study Farm Spouses Associated with Personal Use of Organochlorine Insecticides
Highlights an investigation into the health effects of exposure to organochlorine pesticides for farmers and their spouses. Draws data from the Agricultural Health Study, which surveys agricultural workers in Iowa and North Carolina.
Author(s): Lydia M. Louis, Catherine C. Lerro, Melissa C. Friesen, et al.
Citation: Environmental Health, 16(1), 95
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
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Confronting Adverse Childhood Experiences to Improve Rural Kids' Lifelong Health
Highlights a western North Carolina school district and a Native American tribe in Wisconsin that are working to address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Provides an overview of the impact ACEs have on health and provides data on ACE exposure among rural adults.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Childhood Bullying in Rural Missouri
Defines types of bullying in rural areas and risk factors, including obesity, gender, lack of access to healthy food, and resulting mental health issues. Features a county-level map of Missouri showing urban and rural counties as of 2017, and statistics on victim rates, with breakdowns by 7 levels of population density.
Date: 08/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Coverage Trends for American Indian and Alaska Native Children and Families
Analyzes data from the U.S. Census Bureau to show trends in health insurance coverage rates among American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children and families between 2008 and 2015. Examines the expanded role of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in driving down the AI/AN uninsured rates, particularly in states with the largest AI/AN populations.
Author(s): Joan Alker, Karina Wagnerman, Andy Schneider
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Medicaid in Small Towns and Rural America: A Lifeline for Children, Families, and Communities
Uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) to explore the changing levels of Medicaid coverage and uninsured rates at the county level by age. Addresses the role of Medicaid in the 46 states containing small-town and rural populations. Includes numerous charts, maps, and graphs to help illustrate the relationship between Medicaid growth and uninsured rates in rural areas, focusing on the time period from 2008-2009 to 2014-2015.
Additional links: Interactive Map: The Percent of Adults in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, Interactive Map: The Percent of Children in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, State Data on Adult Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Child Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Non-Elderly Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Seniors' Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas
Author(s): Jack Hoadley, Karina Wagnerman, Joan Alker, Mark Holmes
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural and Urban/Suburban Families' Use of a Web-Based Mental Health Intervention
Analyzes data from a web-based mental health intervention program serving adolescents and caregivers in disaster-affected areas of Missouri and Alabama, comparing rural and urban/suburban rates of accessing and completing web-based mental healthcare modules. Describes historic disparities in mental healthcare among rural communities, noting changes to access and engagement due to increased internet technology use among rural youth and adults. Discusses the potential of web-based healthcare interventions, including telehealth, to expand mental health services in rural areas.
Author(s): Brian Bunnell, Tatiana Davidson, Daniel Dewey, Matthew Price, Kenneth J. Ruggiero
Citation: Telemedicine Journal and E-Health, 23(5), 390-396
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
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The Role of Public Versus Private Health Insurance in Ensuring Health Care Access & Affordability for Low-Income Rural Children
Reports on the rural-urban differences in healthcare access for children with public health insurance versus private insurance, and how families perceive affordability of healthcare when enrolled in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and private insurance plans.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Jennifer D. Lenardson, Amanda R. Burgess
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Differences in Health Care, Family, and Community Factors Associated with Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders Among Children Aged 2–8 Years in Rural and Urban Areas — United States, 2011–2012
Provides rural and urban data on a variety of health-related factors for children 2-8 years of age with and without mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders. Topics addressed include demographics, health insurance coverage, having a medical home, parental mental health, family financial difficulties, and community factors.
Author(s): Lara R. Robinson, Joseph R. Holbrook, Rebecca H. Bitsko, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(8), 1-11
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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