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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

Using Population Health Measures to Evaluate the Environmental Burden of Cancer at the County Level
Results of a study using population health indicators and county-level factor analysis to examine rates of cancer from 2010 to 2014. Includes maps with shadings to show burden index and age-adjusted cancer mortality rates. Variables included poverty, income, food insecurity, isolation in rural areas, and long commutes.
Author(s): Lia C. Scott, Lawrence E. Barker, Lisa C. Richardson
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 16
Date: 04/2019
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Health Disparities Related to Obesity in Appalachia: Practical Strategies and Recommendations for Communities
Offers statistics on obesity in rural Appalachian communities. Highlights strategies and resources to prevent and reduce obesity. Covers recommendations to assist policymakers, funders, and leaders working to reduce obesity related health disparities.
Author(s): Kate Beatty, Nathan Hale, Michael Meit, et al.
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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The Health and Well-Being of North Carolina's Farmworkers: The Importance of Inclusion, Accessible Services and Personal Connection
Provides an overview of farmworker health in North Carolina. Covers demographics, barriers to healthcare access, health risks, and negative health outcomes experienced by migrants and women. Highlights the impact of farmworker health services provided by Federally Qualified Health Centers and the North Carolina Farmworker Health Program.
Author(s): Elizabeth Freeman Lambar, Gayle Thomas
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 80(2), 107-112
Date: 03/2019
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Challenges Associated with Living Remotely from a Pediatric Cancer Center: A Qualitative Study
Examines barriers related to living in rural areas while receiving treatment in urban healthcare centers for pediatric cancer patients. Shares recommendations to improve care and services for pediatric cancer patients and their families.
Author(s): Emily B. Walling, Mark Fiala, Andrea Connolly, Alyssa Drevenak, Sarah Gehlert
Citation: Journal of Oncology Practice, 15(3), e219-e229
Date: 03/2019
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User Engagement Associated with Web-Intervention Features to Attain Clinically Meaningful Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance in Rural Women
Discusses messaging and tracking features within web-based weight loss interventions and their efficacy in achieving clinically meaningful short-term and longer-term weight loss in 201 women living in rural Nebraska. Explores the web-based intervention's potential as a telemedicine option in rural areas.
Author(s): Patricia A. Hageman, Joseph E. Mroz, Michael A. Yoerger, Carol H. Pullen
Citation: Journal of Obesity, 2019
Date: 03/2019
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Wild . . . But Not So Wonderful - Responding to Injection Drug Use in West Virginia
Discusses the progress of the opioid crisis, including co-occurring diseases, in West Virginia. Explores barriers and limitations to treatment, stigma, and harm reduction programs. Highlights considerations for policymakers.
Author(s): Robin A. Pollini
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 354–355
Date: 03/2019
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Indiana Primary Care Needs Assessment, 2019
Summarizes 2015-2018 efforts to identify gaps in healthcare access and allocate resources to communities in greatest need. Lists Primary Care, Mental, and Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations obtained between 2015 and 2018. Identifies population health priorities related to infant mortality, obesity, smoking, and substance misuse in Indiana.
Author(s): Chipo Chavanduka, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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Evaluating Breast Cancer Care Coordination at a Rural National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center Using Network Analysis and Geospatial Methods
Examines geographic access data for breast cancer patients served by a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in New England. Discusses cancer care coordination, physician networks, and care network density (the amount of patient sharing among providers in a care network) to evaluate healthcare quality and outcomes.
Author(s): Erika L. Moen, Nirav S. Kapadia, A. James O'Malley, Tracy Onega
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 28(3), 455-461
Date: 03/2019
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Cancer-Related Beliefs and Perceptions in Appalachia: Findings from 3 States
Highlights a study on the beliefs and perceptions about cancer held by people in Appalachia. Bases conclusions on the results of a survey of rural Appalachian counties in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Author(s): Robin C. Vanderpool, Bin Huang, Yangyang Deng, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 35(2), 176-188
Date: 03/2019
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Cigarette Smoking Rates among Veterans: Association with Rurality and Psychiatric Disorders
Details a study on rates of smoking among Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans in rural and urban areas. Looks at co-occurring mental health disorders and presents data by demographic factors, such as sex, ethnicity, and employment, among others.
Author(s): Lara N. Coughlin, Sarah M. Wilson, Meredith C. Erwin, et al.
Citation: Addictive Behaviors, 90, 119-123
Date: 03/2019
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