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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Social Factors Affecting Pediatric Oral Health in North Dakota
Presents the findings of surveys given to North Dakota children and youth in grade school through high school to determine their knowledge of, and resources to practice, good oral hygiene. Results were tabulated by race and address disparities in the frequency of brushing, the consumption of sugary beverages, and access to oral healthcare supplies.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Advancing Health Equity for Native American Youth: Workshop Summary
Report of a roundtable workshop held in New Mexico that brought together leaders from a wide range of fields, including those in Native American healthcare, to address the need for greater visibility for the health disparities faced by tribal and indigenous populations, how to develop programs to address those disparities, and how to encourage support for Native American leaders to advance those programs. This workshop specifically focused on Native American youth, addressing such topics as suicide, the importance of grandparents in the lives and care of children, and the cultural resiliency of Native Americans to overcome trauma and disparities.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Roundtable on the Promotion of Health Equity and the Elimination of Health Disparities
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Colonoscopy Access and Utilization - Rural Disparities in the Carolinas, 2001-2010
Describes the geographic distribution of colonoscopy providers, the utilization rate for colonoscopies in urban and rural populations, and the influence of the availability of colonoscopy providers on patients when seeking care in their local area for North and South Carolina using ambulatory surgery discharge data for colonoscopies from 2001-2010.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Michele Josey, Tushar Trivedi, James Hibbert, Janice C. Probst
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Disparities in Alcohol, Drug Use, and Mental Health Condition Prevalence and Access to Care in Rural, Isolated, and Reservation Areas: Findings From the South Dakota Health Survey
Presents a study comparing disparities in drug and alcohol use and mental health issues in rural and urban areas. Explores data from a cross-sectional survey of people in South Dakota in rural and urban areas, including on American Indian reservations.
Author(s): Melinda M. Davis, Margaret Spurlock, Kristen Dulacki, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 32(3), 287-302
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
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Disparity in Breast Cancer Late Stage at Diagnosis in Missouri: Does Rural Versus Urban Residence Matter?
Analyzes breast cancer incidence data from the Missouri Cancer Registry and Research Center from 2003 to 2008 to determine the stage of breast cancer presentation by race and geography for all 115 counties in Missouri. Includes cancer stage diagnosis data by race and metro versus nonmetro status.
Author(s): Faustine Williams, Emmanuel Thompson
Citation: Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 3(2), 233-239
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Differences in Chronic Disease and Drug Utilization in Older Oregonians
Provides secondary analysis of 3 longitudinal brain-aging studies of adults 85 years of age or older in Oregon. Compares the results of a study with a rural cohort and 2 studies with urban cohorts to identify the disease burden and medication usage of each elderly population. Analysis uses Modified Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (MCIRS) to measure chronic illness, and medication usage is estimated based on the mean number of total self-reported prescription and non-prescription medications per cohort.
Author(s): Leah M. Goeres, Allison Gille, Jon P. Furuno, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 32(3), 269-279
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
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Geographic Health Disparities in Kentucky: Starting a Conversation About Local Solutions
Features county-level maps showing disparities by life expectancy at birth, education level, median household income, and percentage of population living in poverty. The maps are intended to promote discussion and policy action to combat health disparities in Appalachian Kentucky.
Author(s): Steven H. Woolf, Derek A. Chapman, F. Douglas Scutchfield
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research, 5(3), 1-8
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
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National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Chartbook on Care Coordination
A summary of trends in Care Coordination from the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (QDR) for 2015. Includes data and statistics by metropolitan statistical area with a focus on groups with disparities in care coordination regarding hospital and emergency department visits, discharge, readmission, use of ED for chronic healthcare, and potentially avoidable hospitalizations. Also highlights the use of electronic health records and electronic exchange and how that affects care coordination and quality.
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Disparities in Adolescents' Residence in Neighborhoods Supportive of Physical Activity — United States, 2011–2012
Discusses the connection between adolescents living in neighborhoods that support physical activity (have sidewalks and walking paths, parks, playgrounds, and/or recreation centers) and overall health. Identifies differences in access to neighborhoods supportive of physical activity by ethnicity and race, income level, parental education level, and rurality. Provides recommendations for community-based projects for improvement.
Author(s): Kathleen B. Watson, Carmen D. Harris, Susan A. Carlson, Joan M. Dorn, Janet E. Fulton
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 65(23), 598-601
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Causes and Disparities in Death Rates among Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Populations, 1999-2009
Describes the leading causes of death for urban American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations; includes a comparison with both urban White and rural AI/AN populations. Covers statistics for the leading causes of death for urban and rural AI/AN populations by contract health service delivery area.
Author(s): Jasmine L. Jacobs-Wingo, David K. Espey, Amy V. Groom, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 106(5), 906-914
Date: 05/2016
Type: Document
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