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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

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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Rural Tobacco Use Across the United States: How Rural and Urban Areas Differ, Broken down by Census Regions and Divisions
Examines rural and urban differences in tobacco use and variations across the U.S. by Census regions and divisions using 2012-2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. Covers rural and urban prevalence rates for tobacco products.
Author(s): Megan E. Roberts, Nathan J. Doogan, Allison N. Kurti, et al.
Citation: Health & Place, 39, 153-159
Date: 05/2016
Type: Document
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2015 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Access to Health Care
Summarizes and illustrates trends across measures of access to healthcare using data from the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. Includes a chart displaying the distribution of trauma center utilization by geographic location, including rural areas.
Date: 05/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Community Characteristics Associated with Where Urgent Care Centers Are Located: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Examines the qualities and characteristics of a community with a non-hospital-based urgent care center, regardless of location. Table 1 lists a comparison of communities with and without non-hospital-based urgent care centers.
Author(s): Sidney T Le, Renee Y Hsia
Citation: BMJ Open, 6(4)
Date: 04/2016
Type: Document
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Association of Blood Lead Levels in Children 0-72 Months with Living in Mid-Appalachia: A Semi-Ecologic Study
Compares the blood lead levels in children ages 0–72 months in Mid-Appalachia with children of same age throughout the U.S. Includes a relational comparison of the number of housing units built before 1950 and 1940 in both regions.
Author(s): R. Constance Wiener, Richard J. Jurevic
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 16(2), 3597
Date: 04/2016
Type: Document
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Availability of Advanced Breast Imaging at Screening Facilities Serving Vulnerable Populations
Compares the on-site availability of advanced breast imaging services between imaging facilities serving vulnerable patient populations and those serving non-vulnerable patient populations. Table 1 lists imaging facility characteristics.
Author(s): Christoph I. Lee. Andy Bogart, Jessica C. Germino, et al.
Citation: Journal of Medical Screening, 23(1), 24-30
Date: 03/2016
Type: Document
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