This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Improving Maternity Care for Indigenous Populations
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with Tina Pattara-Lau, M.D., maternal and child health consultant with the Indian Health Service Office of Clinical and Preventive Services, and Johnna Nynas, M.D., obstetrics and gynecology specialist at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center. Describes common disparities and systemic barriers Indigenous people experience in maternity care and ways hospitals and healthcare organizations can address these challenges and provide culturally-focused care.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Red County: Arkansas County Life Expectancy Profile 2023 Report
Reports on Arkansas's Red Counties, defined as the Arkansas counties with a life expectancy at birth more than 6 years below the Arkansas county with the highest life expectancy at birth. Offers comparisons of red and non-red counties over time and analysis of health outcomes, behaviors, clinical care indicators, social and economic factors, and physical environment factors for red counties.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Minority Health Commission, Office of Health Disparities Elimination
view details
Michigan State Health Assessment 2022 Addendum
Continues work from the 2021 Michigan State Health Assessment that discusses population health, factors contributing to health challenges, and utilizing state resources to address health challenges. Discusses priority areas for the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), including addressing rural health disparities.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Michigan State Health Assessment 2021
Provides results of the Michigan State Health Assessment that informs the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), with 4 main focus areas: engaging health policy and systemic change, supporting families to prevent childhood trauma, improving access to food and promoting physical activity, and increasing accountability of environmental polices and regulations. Includes considerations for disadvantaged populations, including rural areas of Michigan.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Illinois Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report
Examines maternal morbidity and mortality in Illinois between 2018 and 2020. Identifies statewide patterns in maternal health and discusses factors that influence maternal health outcomes and disparities. Explores data by demographics, including race, age, and rural county residence. Presents policy recommendations aimed at preventing maternal morbidities and mortalities.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Department of Public Health
view details
Failing Septic Systems in Lowndes County, Alabama: Citizen Participation, Science, and Community Knowledge
Discusses sanitation infrastructure access in predominantly Black, rural Lowndes County, Alabama. Provides data on household demographics, sewage treatment type and availability, home ownership, and more. Discusses barriers to septic system installation and health risks of sewage exposure.
Author(s): Elizabeth A. Albright, Catherine Coleman Flowers, Randall A. Kramer, Erika S. Weinthal
Citation: Local Environment, 29(2), 135-142
Date: 10/2023
view details
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Diagnosis and Care among Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Who Are Publicly Insured
Evaluates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, diagnosis, and care among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, utilizing 2012 Medicare-Medicaid data. Identifies disparities related to ethnicity, geography, and more, including regional and rural/nonrural comparisons.
Author(s): T.G. James, M.S. Argenyi, A. Gravino, T.W. Benevides
Citation: Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 68(2), 150-163
Date: 10/2023
view details
Geographic Differences in the Magnitude of Black-White Disparities in Having Obesity
Compares the magnitude of Black-White obesity disparities in rural and urban areas with U.S. regional comparisons, utilizing data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Assesses rural-urban status by county-level Index of Relative Rurality quintile.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Monique J. Brown, Furong Xu, Caitlin C. Nash, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Obesity Science & Practice, 9(5), 516-528
Date: 10/2023
view details
Pennsylvania Oral Health Basic Screening Survey: 2021-2022 Oral Health Basic Screening Survey of Third-Graders
Provides a comprehensive overview of the oral health status of third-grade Pennsylvania children. Features statistics including treated and untreated decay, dental sealants, and urgent need for care, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
view details
Aligning Systems for Health: Research Learnings from Across the Nation
Summarizes findings from three cohorts funded through the Aligning Systems for Health initiative, which explores how systems can better work together to address community goals and needs. Covers research on how established collaborative systems responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, how collaborative systems can be measured, and the evidence base around approaches and conditions that foster collaborative systems. Features findings from the Strengthening Health Equity in Recovery Outcomes (SHERO) study, which measured and described the context surrounding cross-sector alignment within rural and urban community networks in Kentucky, and system alignment efforts across four tribal partners.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
view details