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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

New CDC Series Looks at Rural Health Topics
Highlights a 2017 special series in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that focuses on rural health issues, including mortality, health-related behaviors, chronic diseases, and more.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Early Death After Discharge From Emergency Departments: Analysis of National US Insurance Claims Data
Report regarding the incidence of early death after release from emergency departments in the United States and what risk factors may contribute to those deaths. Compares urban and rural hospital location, with data for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural non-CAHs. Includes data for rural and urban populations as well as poverty level, previous healthcare use, and other demographics.
Author(s): Ziad Obermeyer, Brent Cohn, Michael Wilson, Anupam B Jena, David M Cutler
Citation: BMJ, 356(j239)
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
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Engaging Tribal Nations of North Dakota in Conducting Community Health Assessments
Outlines the purpose and process of conducting a community health assessment (CHA) for Native American communities. Covers tribal public health policy and governance, community engagement in CHAs, steps for planning a CHA, working with data, and preparing a tribal community health improvement plan.
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Indian Public Health Resource Center, North Dakota Department of Health
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Understanding Treatment Gaps for Mental Health, Alcohol, and Drug Use in South Dakota: A Qualitative Study of Rural Perspectives
Details a study on gaps in access to behavioral health treatment in rural South Dakota. Discusses data collected from interviews with people in rural and tribal areas of the state with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Author(s): Lauren Broffman, Margaret Spurlock, Kristen Dulacki, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 22(1), 71-81
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
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Health Inequities by Sexual Orientation among New Mexican Adults, 2011-2014
Examines health outcomes and behaviors by sexual orientation for adults in New Mexico. Covers demographics, access to healthcare, chronic health conditions, behavioral risk factors including binge drinking and smoking, protective factors such as HIV and cervical cancer screening, and quality of life differences such as mental health. Includes rural/urban breakdowns for demographics and addresses disparities by race/ethnicity, including American Indian/Alaska Native lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults.
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Social Determinants of Health
Policy brief informed by a September 2016 National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services meeting held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with site visits to update the committee about factors that affect health outcomes. Identifies emerging payment models and financing strategies, and provides policy recommendations for addressing the social determinants of health in rural communities.
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas — United States, 1999–2014
Investigates the differences in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan regions of the U.S. for the 5 leading causes of death (heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke) by analyzing and comparing mortality data derived from the National Vital Statistics System. Discusses the trends in annual age-adjusted death rates for unintentional injury for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of the U.S.
Additional links: Supplemental Maps: Figure 5, Supplemental Tables: Figures 2-5
Author(s): Ernest Moy, Macarena C. Garcia, Brigham Bastian, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(1), 1-8
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reducing Potentially Excess Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in the Rural United States
Reports on the rural-urban disparities regarding potentially preventable deaths caused by heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD), and stroke for populations less than 80 years of age. Discusses factors impacting the rural-urban gap, and offers suggestions for reducing these disparities and improving health. Updated in a November 2019 report.
Author(s): Macarena C. Garcia, Mark Faul, Greta Massetti, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(2), 1-7
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity
Identifies elements of effective solutions to advance health equity at the local or community level. Featured examples include the Delta Health Center, a rural Federally Qualified Health Center that uses a community-oriented primary care model to address population health. A brief overview of rural health disparities which includes a discussion on Appalachian health is found on pages 2-19 and 2-20. Appendix A provides a historical and legal context for understanding Native American health disparities.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Community Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Georgia State Health Improvement Plan 2016-2021
Describes a plan for the improvement of public health in Georgia. Discusses trends in state demographics and health outcomes, and establishes health improvement priorities, strategies, and targets. Major topics include access, chronic disease prevention, and maternal and child health. Highlights health disparities and health workforce shortages in rural areas.
Date: 2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Department of Public Health
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