Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition
2025 Arkansas State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup: Annual Profile of Substance Use
Provides information on youth and adult substance abuse in Arkansas to help guide substance abuse prevention decision-making. Highlights consequences such as arrests, suicide, and depression and focuses on alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and prescription drug use. Includes county-level profiles and an overview of a variety of community and personal health indicators.
Additional links: County Report
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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Provides information on youth and adult substance abuse in Arkansas to help guide substance abuse prevention decision-making. Highlights consequences such as arrests, suicide, and depression and focuses on alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and prescription drug use. Includes county-level profiles and an overview of a variety of community and personal health indicators.
Additional links: County Report
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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2024 National Summer EBT Family Survey
Examines participation in and impact of Summer EBT (S-EBT), or SUNBucks, during the summer of 2024. Provides data on food insecurity, experiences using S-EBT, and S-EBT information and communications, with information specific to rural parents and families.
Author(s): David Metz, Lucia del Puppo, Denny Han
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Examines participation in and impact of Summer EBT (S-EBT), or SUNBucks, during the summer of 2024. Provides data on food insecurity, experiences using S-EBT, and S-EBT information and communications, with information specific to rural parents and families.
Author(s): David Metz, Lucia del Puppo, Denny Han
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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More Than 5 Million Older Adults Are Eligible for Both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and a Medicare Savings Program (MSP)
Examines characteristics of older adults who are eligible for both Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Provides data on eligibility, with data broken down by state, demographics, household size, income, and urban versus rural location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Tobey Oliver
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Examines characteristics of older adults who are eligible for both Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Provides data on eligibility, with data broken down by state, demographics, household size, income, and urban versus rural location.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Tobey Oliver
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Food Insecurity and Rural Child and Family Functioning
Examines the relationship between food security and family well-being in rural households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes feedback from 61 caregivers regarding household food insecurity, child mental health issues, parent-child conflict, and more.
Author(s): Merelise R. Ametti, Hannah E. Frering, Kierian Huang, Katya Marsh, Robert R. Althoff
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(9), e2530691
Date: 09/2025
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Examines the relationship between food security and family well-being in rural households during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes feedback from 61 caregivers regarding household food insecurity, child mental health issues, parent-child conflict, and more.
Author(s): Merelise R. Ametti, Hannah E. Frering, Kierian Huang, Katya Marsh, Robert R. Althoff
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(9), e2530691
Date: 09/2025
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Optimizing Access to Fruits and Vegetables in Rural Communities: A Decision-Making Model for the Placement of Produce Markets
Examines fruits and vegetables (FV) access in rural communities and the systems that support FV markets. Analyzes policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change interventions in a rural Texas community and the impact on driving distance to FV markets, service capacity, and financial resources of the community. Discusses the effect of 27 different interventions, provides related data, and includes suggestions on how PSE changes can support improved nutrition.
Author(s): Eduardo Pérez, Cassandra M. Johnson, Yan Li, José A. Pagán
Citation: PLoS One, 20(9), e0331545
Date: 09/2025
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Examines fruits and vegetables (FV) access in rural communities and the systems that support FV markets. Analyzes policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change interventions in a rural Texas community and the impact on driving distance to FV markets, service capacity, and financial resources of the community. Discusses the effect of 27 different interventions, provides related data, and includes suggestions on how PSE changes can support improved nutrition.
Author(s): Eduardo Pérez, Cassandra M. Johnson, Yan Li, José A. Pagán
Citation: PLoS One, 20(9), e0331545
Date: 09/2025
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Co-Creating Non-Congregate Summer Meals: Engaging Your Community to Design Your Program
Examines collaborative processes to create successful non-congregate summer meal programs in rural communities. Discusses a pilot program in Florida and offers suggestions related to meal sites, activities for children, caregiver appreciation, and more.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Examines collaborative processes to create successful non-congregate summer meal programs in rural communities. Discusses a pilot program in Florida and offers suggestions related to meal sites, activities for children, caregiver appreciation, and more.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Income, Healthy Food Availability, and Consumption Mediate Rural–Urban Health Disparities
Discusses rural versus urban health disparities and how healthy food availability and consumption mediate disparities. Utilizes national and state-level survey data from Oregon residents regarding their self-reported income, perceived fruit and vegetable (FV) availability, FV consumption, and health status, analyzing their associated mediating effect on rural health disparities.
Author(s): Benjamin J Smith, A Janet Tomiyama, Deborah H John, Bryan Mantell, Elliot T Berkman
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32(6), 939-952
Date: 08/2025
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Discusses rural versus urban health disparities and how healthy food availability and consumption mediate disparities. Utilizes national and state-level survey data from Oregon residents regarding their self-reported income, perceived fruit and vegetable (FV) availability, FV consumption, and health status, analyzing their associated mediating effect on rural health disparities.
Author(s): Benjamin J Smith, A Janet Tomiyama, Deborah H John, Bryan Mantell, Elliot T Berkman
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32(6), 939-952
Date: 08/2025
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Building Healthier Rural Communities: Economic Development Districts Address Social Determinants of Health
Report outlining social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural areas and how Economic Development Districts (EDD) address them. Highlights workforce, infrastructure, food security, health, disaster preparedness, funding, data, and public-private partnerships. Includes a case study from an EDD in North Carolina and highlights the role of hospitals in the community.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Economic Development District Community of Practice, National Association of Development Organizations
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Report outlining social determinants of health (SDOH) in rural areas and how Economic Development Districts (EDD) address them. Highlights workforce, infrastructure, food security, health, disaster preparedness, funding, data, and public-private partnerships. Includes a case study from an EDD in North Carolina and highlights the role of hospitals in the community.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Economic Development District Community of Practice, National Association of Development Organizations
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The Impact of Nutrition Training Programs on Knowledge, Confidence, and Behavioral Intention Among School Nutrition Professionals
Examines training programs for rural school nutrition professionals (SNPs) that include flexible scheduling and considerations related to staff and resource shortages. Utilizes observational data and pre- and post-training evaluations to analyze SNP knowledge and confidence to implement new culinary behaviors after the virtual and in-person flexible training format.
Author(s): Wenhao Zhang, Brianna Routh, Molly Stenberg, Haley Scott
Citation: Journal of School Health, 95(11), 924-932
Date: 08/2025
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Examines training programs for rural school nutrition professionals (SNPs) that include flexible scheduling and considerations related to staff and resource shortages. Utilizes observational data and pre- and post-training evaluations to analyze SNP knowledge and confidence to implement new culinary behaviors after the virtual and in-person flexible training format.
Author(s): Wenhao Zhang, Brianna Routh, Molly Stenberg, Haley Scott
Citation: Journal of School Health, 95(11), 924-932
Date: 08/2025
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Oregon by the Numbers - Key Measures for Oregon and Its Counties
Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Additional links: En Español
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Ford Family Foundation, Oregon State University Rural Studies Program
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Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Additional links: En Español
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Ford Family Foundation, Oregon State University Rural Studies Program
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