Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Chronic Diseases and Associated Risk Factors Among Adults in Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria
Highlights a study on the prevalence of chronic diseases in Puerto Rico before Hurricane Maria and the level of support available to patients before and after the storm. Bases conclusions on 2 studies conducted in 2015 and 2019. Breaks down data by participant characteristics, such as age, employment, and rurality of residence, among other measures.
Author(s): Josiemer Mattei, Martha Tamez, June O'Neill, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(1), e2139986
Date: 01/2022
view details
Evaluation of State-Led Surveillance of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome — Six U.S. States, 2018–2021
Examines data collection challenges and infrastructure gaps that impact surveillance of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), based on information from 6 states with mandated NAS reporting. Includes brief discussion of rural concerns, including disparities in the incidence of opioid use disorder and NAS and gaps in rural infrastructure and access to care.
Author(s): Shahla M. Jilani, Kristina West, Laura Jacobus-Kantor, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(2), 37-42
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
High-Performing Rural Health System
Update to the September 2011 RUPRI Health Panel document "The High Performance Rural Health Care System of the Future." Describes affordable and accessible healthcare for all rural residents through a sustainable system delivering high quality, high value services. Defines pillars of accessibility, affordability, community health, and quality.
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Children in the Fields: The Struggles You Should Know
Report examining the challenges affecting migrant farmworker children based on interviews with 37 children from the West, East, and Mid-Central regions. Addresses health struggles including bodily pain and injury, heat stress, COVID-19, pesticide exposure, and mental health. Also covers education and financial struggles and human trafficking vulnerabilities.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs, Children in the Fields Campaign
view details
2022 Mississippi State Health Improvement Plan
Describes a plan for health improvement in Mississippi for the period 2022-2026, and includes an overview of current public health challenges. Presents objectives associated with reducing health disparities and addressing social determinants of health, including obesity reduction and improved access to preventative care. Identifies affected groups, including people in rural areas.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organizations: Mississippi State Department of Health, Mississippi State Health Assessment and Improvement Committee (SHAIC)
view details
Mississippi Rural Health Plan 2022
Provides an overview of health status and healthcare systems in rural Mississippi, identifies priorities, and describes plans for rural health improvement. Defines rural areas and facilities, and presents an overview of State Office of Rural Health funding and programs. Includes statistics on demographics, health workforce, Critical Access Hospital performance, and population health indicators.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organizations: Mississippi Public Health Institute (MSPHI), Mississippi State Department of Health, The Mississippi Center for Rural Health and Population Studies
view details
Comparing Two Telehealth Approaches for Treating Complex Psychiatric Disorders in Primary Care -- The SPIRIT Study
Details a study on the use of telepsychiatry and telepsychology to treat complex psychiatric disorders in rural primary care settings. Discusses a trials done in 24 primary care clinics without behavioral health services. Compares models of care and draws conclusions from survey data.
Additional links: En Español, Research Summary
Author(s): John C. Fortney, Jürgen Unützer
Date: 2022
view details
Defining Rural Rhode Island
Detailed definition of rural areas in Rhode Island, developed by the Rhode Island Office of Primary Care and Rural Health for the purposes of identifying areas that are potentially at risk for health disparities and limits on access to healthcare. Includes a list of Rhode Island cities and towns, with their population and population density as of 2020.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Rhode Island Department of Health
view details
Does Primary Care Availability Mediate the Relationship Between Rurality and Lower Life Expectancy in the United States?
Analyzes if the availability of primary care providers (PCPs) is a factor in life expectancy outcomes in rural areas. Utilizes county-level statistics for the years 2010, 2015, and 2017 to see if rural counties with higher PCP density trended toward higher life expectancy. Includes descriptive statistics that show rural versus urban comparisons for life expectancy, race/ethnicity, education level, income, insurance and employment status, rate of elderly residents, and access to/cost of medical care.
Author(s): Arjun Sharma, Sanjay Basu
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 13
Date: 2022
view details
Accelerating the Use of Findings from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research in Clinical Practice to Improve Health and Health Care
Offers an overview of presentations and discussion from a workshop series on patient-centered outcomes research. Topics include research methods and implementation, collaboration, research sustainability, disseminating findings, and informing evidence-based policy making.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details