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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Reframing Health Disparities in Rural America: A Communications Toolkit
Provides resources and strategies for public health professionals to communicate effectively about rural health disparities with a variety of audiences. Includes sample letters and social media posts that include health equity and historical context in their messages.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organizations: FrameWorks Institute, National Network of Public Health Institutes
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Newly Reported Chronic Hepatitis C Among Adults — Alaska, 2016-2023
Reports on newly reported confirmed chronic hepatitis C diagnoses data among Alaskan adults between 2016 and 2023. Notes diagnosis rate disparities for American Indian and Alaska Natives and rural residents, among others. Discusses the potential impact of increased screening on the data. Offers recommendations related to screening, treatment, reporting, and more.
Author(s): Heather M. Scobie, Ian Blake, Eyasu Teshale, et al.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Division of Public Health
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Community-Level Factors and their Associations with Changing Opioid Overdose Fatality Rates in Kentucky, 2019–2021
Identifies associations between community-level factors and opioid overdose fatality rates in Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky counties, and examines how these associations have changed from 2019 to 2021. Discusses societal changes that occurred due to COVID-19, including social isolation, and which may be linked to an increase in overdose deaths. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, adjacent-to-metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Shawn R. Nigam, Philip M. Westgate, Svetla Slavova, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Katherine L. Thompson
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(1), 90-115
Date: 07/2024
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Provision of Stroke Care Services by Community Disadvantage Status in the US, 2009-2022
Results of a study of 5,055 hospitals, examining the association of community socioeconomic disadvantage with likelihood of nearby hospitals adopting stroke center certification from 2009-2022. Features statistics including hospital characteristics during the study period, with breakdown by rural location.
Author(s): Renee Y. Hsia, Nandita Sarkar, Yu-Chu Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(7), e2421010
Date: 07/2024
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Tailored Approach to Participant Recruitment and Retention to Maximize Health Equity in Pediatric Cancer Research
Analyzes methods to improve recruitment and retention strategies to promote equity in pediatric cancer research studies. Focuses on using pre-approach, initial connection, building connection, and follow-up strategies to increase participation from Black or African American, Latino/Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander, those with low socioeconomic status, and rural populations.
Author(s): Carolyn R. Bates, Renee M. Gilbert, Kelsey M. Dean, et al.
Citation: BMC Medical Research Methodology, 24, 161
Date: 07/2024
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The Prevalence of Mental Health Conditions Was on the Rise Before the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Pandemic Had a Negative Effect on Mental Health
Data spotlight on mental illness, depression, and suicide among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes disparities and discusses barriers to care related to a variety of sociodemographic factors including geography. See Figures 3, 7, and 8 for data on health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), mental health-related emergency department visits, and suicide deaths by level of rurality.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Rural Veteran Perception of Healthcare Access in South Carolina and Florida: A Qualitative Study
Presents a study on the perceptions of healthcare access for rural veterans and their families in South Carolina and Florida. Bases findings on interviews with veterans and their spouses on barriers to accessing physical and mental healthcare in their rural communities.
Author(s): Maria Mercedes Rossi, Heidi L. Radunovich, Michelle A. Parisi
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 826
Date: 07/2024
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2022 Data: Rural/Urban Traffic Fatalities
Reports 2022 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data describing fatal motor vehicle crashes. Provides rural versus urban statistics for fatal motor vehicle crashes by light condition, roadway departure and intersection, age group, speeding, alcohol use, seat belt use, and rollover crashes. Includes statistics on ratio of rural to urban fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, by state, as of 2022.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Urban–Rural Disparities in Food Insecurity and Weight Status Among Children in the United States
Analyzes urban versus rural place of residence and its association with childhood food insecurity and weight status. Utilizes 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data and provides breakdowns of urban versus rural food insecurity by child's age and weight status, according to underweight/normal weight, overweight, and obese designations.
Author(s): Jayna M. Dave, Tzuan A. Chen, Alexandra N. Castro, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 16(13), 2132
Date: 07/2024
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Implementing Policy and Practice Changes to Support Breastfeeding Duration in New York State Communities
Analyzes the effectiveness of the Creating Breastfeeding Friendly Communities program to reduce disparities in breastfeeding. Examines the breastfeeding supports in place between 2017 and 2023 at selected worksites with breakdowns according to worksite size, social vulnerability, and rurality.
Author(s): Ann Lowenfels, Megan Murphy, Abbie Archibald, Sarah Avellino, Katie Potestio
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21
Date: 07/2024
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