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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Trials Costs to Patients
Examines the direct and indirect costs of COVID-19 clinical trial participation to patients and the impact of utilizing remote technologies. Presents an environmental scan of articles published between 2010 and 2023 and discusses barriers to clinical trial participation experienced by underrepresented and rural populations.
Author(s): Keri Calkins, Emily Crabtree, Emily Harrison, Nyna Williams, Kirsten Barrett
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
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Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories in 2024
Presents projections of traffic fatalities and the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2024. Includes data for rural versus urban roads, among other measures. Compares 2023 fatality data to 2024 rates by month for a number of indicators, including rural areas.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Rural and Urban Differences in Suicide in the United States, 2018-2021
Highlights the rates of suicide across the U.S. from 2018-2021 in rural and urban areas. Discusses some of the geographic and demographic characteristics that correlate with higher rates of suicide. Breaks down data by year, demographics, Census and HHS regions, and rural versus urban location. Makes policy recommendations based on the report's findings.
Author(s): Qian Huang, Nicole Galler, Michael Meit, Amy Wahlquist
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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The Rural and Urban Supply of Clinicians With a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine in 2022 Prior to the Elimination of the Waiver Requirement
Report explores the differences in rates of clinicians with DEA waivers to prescribe buprenorphine in 2022 in rural versus urban counties. Highlights the rural gaps in access to buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder prior to the elimination of the DEA waiver requirement in 2023. Provides rural, urban, and regional comparisons.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Public Health Research and Program Strategies for Diabetes Prevention and Management

Editorial describing diabetes prevention and management efforts and policy since 1975. Discusses disparities in diabetes prevalence including rural residence. Highlights current and future work in diabetes prevention and management.


Author(s): Shelly-Ann Bowen, Arsham Alamian, Stephen Onufrak
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rising Rural Mortality Rates From Natural Causes for Working-Age Adults Lead to Widening Gap With Urban Counterparts

Reports on disparities in natural cause mortality rates between rural and urban working age adults. Explores disparities by various demographic factors and underlying causes.


Author(s): Kelsey L. Thomas (Conley), Elizabeth A. Dobis, David McGranahan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence by Race and Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Urbanicity, and Social Determinants of Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes
Examines demographic disparities in cardiovascular disease prevalence among people with diabetes, utilizing 2015–2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data. Includes sociodemographic data, including rural-urban comparisons, on crude and adjusted prevalence of myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure.
Author(s): Xilin Zhou, Joohyun Park, Deborah B. Rolka, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240270
Date: 03/2025
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Eighth Biennial Report 2025: Health Issues for the State of North Dakota
Updates the previous seven editions of this report with a comprehensive examination of healthcare workforce licensure data related to number of licensed professionals, locations, specialties, and demographics in rural and urban North Dakota. Includes three new chapters on indigenous health, women's and children's health, and the community impacts of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
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Predictors of County-Level Diabetes-Related Mortality Risks in Florida, USA: A Retrospective Ecological Study
Examines geographic disparities in diabetes-related mortality risk (DRMR) in Florida. Explores the association between county-level factors and DRMR, including data on rurality, age, health behaviors, and more.
Author(s): Nirmalendu Deb Nath, Agricola Odoi
Citation: PeerJ Life & Environment, 13, e18537
Date: 01/2025
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Factors Influencing Evidence-Based Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Programming in Rural African American Communities: A Community-Engaged Concept Mapping Study
Analyzes perspectives on evidence-based cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and management programs, utilizing a group concept mapping (GCM) approach with input from 31 community-based, faith, and healthcare organizations serving African Americans in rural North Carolina.
Author(s): Amelia DeFosset, Breanna Deutsch-Williams, Mysha Wynn, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science Communications, 6, 11
Date: 01/2025
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