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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Inequities in Adequacy of Prenatal Care and Shifts in Rural/Urban Differences Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Compares prenatal care adequacy before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data. Breaks down data by sociodemographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status, with further data on the influence of barriers to virtual care on rural-urban care disparities.
Author(s): Mounika Polavarapu, Shipra Singh, Camelia Arsene, Rachel Stanton
Citation: Women's Health Issues
Date: 09/2024
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Innovations in Rural Obstetrics to Maintain Access to Care
Discusses closures of rural hospitals and labor and delivery services and the impact on maternity care access. Provides examples of 6 approaches to sustain obstetric care: partnerships, community-centered care, quality initiatives, culturally competent care, rural workforce development, and maternity care as an equity issue.
Author(s): Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald, Erin E. Sullivan
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Rural-Urban Residence and Life Expectancies With and Without Pain
Analyzes disparities in life expectancy and pain-free years of life remaining among rural, suburban, and urban upper-middle aged and older adults with and without chronic pain. Utilizes U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data for 18,160 individuals from 2000-2018. Includes data breakdowns by region, age group, sex, and severity of pain.
Author(s): Feinuo Sun, Zachary Zimmer, Nicolas Brouard
Citation: Health & Place, 89, 103305
Date: 09/2024
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Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Health Care: Chelsea Lensing
A video recording of a podcast episode that discusses mental healthcare access in rural Iowa. Features Chelsea Lensing, economics professor at Coe College in Iowa, who studies disparities in healthcare access in rural versus urban populations. Transcript available below video.
Author(s): Paul Yeager, Chelsea Lensing
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Iowa PBS
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Evaluation of an Enhanced Modified Kalman Filter Approach for Estimating Health Outcomes in Small Subpopulations: Data Evaluation and Methods Research
Assesses the performance of the enhanced modified Kalman filter (eMKF) as a methodology to estimate health outcomes for small subpopulations.
Author(s): Lauren M. Rossen, Makram Talih, Priyam Patel, Morgan Earp, Jennifer D. Parker
Citation: Vital and Health Statistics, 2(208)
Date: 09/2024
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The COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Declines in Cancer Incidence by Race/Ethnicity and Census-Tract Level SES, Rurality, and Persistent Poverty Status
Examines the impact of COVID-19 on cancer screening, treatment, incidence, and disparities among different population groups. Utilizes U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to compare 2020 and 2015-2019 incidence rates at 13 different cancer sites. Analyzes various cancer types across sociodemographic variables, including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, persistent poverty (PP), and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Benmei Liu, Mandi Yu, Jeffrey Byrne, Katheen A. Cronin, Eric J. Feuer
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 13(17)
Date: 09/2024
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AHRQ Report to Congress: An Assessment of Sepsis in the United States and its Burden on Hospital Care
Offers an assessment of hospital care for sepsis between 2016 and 2021 including trends in hospital utilization, morbidity, in-hospital mortality, and disparities related to various patient demographics and geographic factors. Discusses rural throughout.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The State of Obesity 2024: Better Policies for a Healthier America
Presents data on adult and childhood obesity rates, with breakdowns by state and select demographic characteristics. Examines current and emerging policies, provides funding opportunities, and outlines recommended policy actions. Includes a special feature about food environments and systems.
Author(s): Molly Warren, Madison West
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2024
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Rural and Urban Differences in Marijuana Use Following Passages of Medical Marijuana Laws
Presents a study on differences in marijuana use in rural and urban areas after the legalization of medical marijuana. Compares marijuana usage in rural and urban areas and breaks down data by race, sex, sexual orientation, and level of marijuana use, among other factors.
Author(s): E. Morgan, C. Dyar
Citation: Public Health, 234, 64-70
Date: 09/2024
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