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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

The Epidemic of Despair Among White Americans: Trends in the Leading Causes of Premature Death, 1999–2015
Evaluates trends in cause-specific death rates for adults ages 25-64, from 1999-2001 and 2013-2015. Features statistics including cause of death, age, race, and urbanization level in the United States, with breakdowns by large urban, suburban, small/medium metropolitan, and rural areas.
Author(s): Elizabeth M. Stein, Keith P. Gennuso, Donna C. Ugboaja, Patrick L. Remington
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(10), 1541-1547
Date: 10/2017
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Access To Obstetric Services In Rural Counties Still Declining, With 9 Percent Losing Services, 2004-14
Results of a study identifying gaps in the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural America, and providing evidence of disparities in local access to obstetric services in vulnerable rural communities. Includes statistics on percentages of rural counties by status of hospital obstetric services from 2004–14, with breakdowns by micropolitan or noncore location, and a county-level map with shadings indicating full closure, continuous services, or no services.
Author(s): Peiyin Hung, Carrie E. Henning-Smith, Michelle M. Casey, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Health Affairs, 36(9), 1663-1671
Date: 09/2017
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Rural Veterans' Dental Utilization, BRFSS, 2014
Highlight study on the dental utilization rates for rural veterans. Explores whether the rural veterans are more likely to experience negative oral health outcomes, such as missing teeth. Breaks down data by age, race, educational attainment, and rural versus urban location, among other factors.
Author(s): R. Constance Wiener, Chan Shen, Usha Sambamoorthi, Patricia A. Findley
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 77(4), 383-392
Date: 09/2017
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Health Service Accessibility and Risk in Cervical Cancer Prevention: Comparing Rural Versus Nonrural Residence in New Mexico
Details a study on how geographic accessibility affects rural women's cervical cancer screening rates. Compares rural and urban areas in New Mexico. Breaks down data by travel distance, year, and services provided.
Author(s): Yolanda J. McDonald, Daniel W. Goldberg, Isabel C. Scarinci, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 33(4), 382-392
Date: 09/2017
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The Appalachia Initiative: A Bipartisan Approach for the 21st Century
Reports on the current challenges facing Appalachia. Breaks down data by education and workforce, entrepreneurism and job creation, energy and infrastructure, and rural health. Looks specifically at mortality rates, obesity and diabetes prevalence, and drug overdose death rates.
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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"Taking the Bull by the Horns": Four Principles to Align Public Health, Primary Care, and Community Efforts to Improve Rural Cancer Control
Commentary on the CDC MMWR report, Invasive Cancer Incidence, 2004-2013, and Deaths, 2006-2015, in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties — United States. Discusses factors contributing to rural cancer disparities and identifies opportunities to improve rural cancer control.
Author(s): Stephanie B. Wheeler, Melinda M. Davis
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 33(4), 345-349
Date: 09/2017
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Intimate Partner Violence-Related Hospitalizations in Appalachia and the Non-Appalachian United States
Estimates and compares the rates of IPV-related hospitalizations in Appalachia and the non-Appalachian U.S. from 2007-2011. Examines rates based on rural and urban location, and several other clinical and sociodemographic measures.
Author(s): Danielle M. Davidov, Stephen M. Davis, Motao Zhu, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 12(9)
Date: 09/2017
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Infant Mortality Rates in Rural and Urban Areas in the United States, 2014
Reports on infant mortality in 2014 among rural, small and medium urban, and large urban counties. Includes data by infant age at death for neonatal (0-27 days) and postneonatal (28-364 days) deaths. Provides infant mortality data by mother's age and by mother's race for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic mothers.
Author(s): Danielle M. Ely, Anne K. Driscoll, T.J. Mathews
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Immigrant Health in Rural Maryland: A Qualitative Study of Major Barriers to Health Care Access
Highlights a study on barriers to healthcare access for rural immigrants in Maryland. Bases findings on interviews with immigrants living on Maryland's rural Eastern Shore. Discusses insurance coverage, language barriers, and citizenship status, among other factors.
Author(s): Thurka Sangaramoorthy, Emilia M. Guevara
Citation: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19, 939-946
Date: 08/2017
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Mapping the Health Information Landscape in a Rural, Culturally Diverse Region: Implications for Interventions to Reduce Information Inequality
Examines disparities in health information access using news sources in a rural area of California with a large Hispanic population. Compares differences between news topics covered and regional health issues. Offers recommendations for public health officials and others.
Author(s): A. Susana Ramirez, Erendira Estrada, Ariana Ruiz
Citation: Journal of Primary Prevention, 38(4), 345, 362
Date: 08/2017
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