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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Disparities in Amputation in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease
Examines health disparities related to amputation and the management of peripheral arterial disease. Discusses intersecting factors impacting the need for amputation, such as race/ethnicity, geography, and more. Includes county- and ZIP code-level state maps of West Virginia that show 2011-2016 risk estimates for amputation in patients with diabetes and/or peripheral arterial disease.
Author(s): Katharine L. McGinigle, Samantha D. Minc
Citation: Surgery,169(6), 1290-1294
Date: 06/2021
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Crosscutting Environmental Risk with Design: A Multi-site, Multi-city Socioecological Approach for Iowa's Diversifying Small Towns
Examines the intersection of built environments and environmental design with factors exacerbating health disparities in 3 small Iowa towns. Discusses how study results may be used by small towns to prioritize investments in built environments for vulnerable populations.
Author(s): Benjamin Shirtcliff, Rosie Manzo, Rachel Scudder
Citation: PLoS ONE, 16(6), e0252127
Date: 06/2021
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Urban–Rural Mortality Disparities from Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases in the United States, 1999–2019
Letter to the editor presenting data on chronic lower respiratory disease mortality between 1999 and 2019, including a population breakdown by 6 levels of metro and nonmetro status, using the CDC WONDER database. Discusses rural disparities in mortality and charts mortality trends over time.
Author(s): Paul A. Reyfman, Basil Khuder, Jacob B. Pierce, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 203(11), 1435-1437
Date: 06/2021
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Multilevel Modeling of County-level Excessive Alcohol Use, Rurality, and COVID-19 Case Fatality Rates in the US
Presents a study on the relationship between COVID-19 outcomes and elevated alcohol use in rural counties. Looks at levels of alcohol use and misuse in rural counties prior to the pandemic and compares it with COVID-19 mortality data. Breaks down data by rurality and alcohol use while controlling for other comorbidities such as obesity, smoking, and being over the age of 65.
Author(s): George Pro, Paul A. Gilbert, Julie A. Baldwin, et al.
Citation: PLOS ONE, 16(6), e0253466
Date: 06/2021
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National RTAP/FTA Webinar: Rural Transportation Planning and the COVID-19 Response
Webinar recording discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected rural and tribal transit, their communities, and the providers responding to the pandemic. Features speakers from the Federal Transit Administration, the National Rural Transit Assistance Program, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Crawford Area Transit Authority, and Nevada County Transit Services.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Transit Assistance Program
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Demographic Factors Associated With Non-Guideline-Based Treatment of Kidney Cancer in the United States
Results of a study of 158,455 kidney patients, based on data from the National Cancer Database for the years 2010-2017. Examines whether demographic factors are associated with deviation from guideline-based treatment of kidney cancer. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, urban, and rural location of patients.
Author(s): Jeffrey M. Howard, Karabi Nandy, Solomon L. Woldu, Vitaly Margulis
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(6)
Date: 06/2021
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VA Community Care: Understanding Veterans' Access, Utilization, and Satisfaction
Supplemental journal features a wide variety articles pertaining to veterans' access to care, utilization, and the VA's Community Care Network (CCN). Discusses the CCN's relationship with the MISSION Act, telehealth, and challenges facing rural veterans, among other issues.
Citation: Medical Care, 59, (6, Suppl 3)
Date: 06/2021
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Use of the Spatial Access Ratio to Measure Geospatial Access to Emergency General Surgery Services in California
Evaluates the ability of Spatial Access Ratio (SPAR) to identify disparities in emergency general surgery (EGS) access in California. Compares the locations of 238 EGS-capable hospitals to the location of California residents with focus on the socio-demographic characteristics of population size, poverty rate, health insurance coverage, and rural or urban status. Table 2 shows access to EGS hospitals by rurality, among other data. Discusses the use of SPAR to allocate resources differently.
Author(s): Marta McCrum, Neng Wan, Steven Lizotte, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 90(5), 853-860
Date: 05/2021
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Spatial and Temporal Inequalities in Mortality in the USA, 1968-2016
Examines excess mortality at the county level using Poisson regression models adjusted for poverty, education, population change, deindustrialization, and other demographic factors, including rural-urban comparisons. Offers spatial maps and population-weighted cartograms.
Author(s): Welcome Wami, David Walsh, Benjamin D. Hennig, et al.
Citation: Health Place, 70, 102586
Date: 05/2021
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A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Physical Activity During COVID-19 in a Sample of Rural and Non-Rural Participants in the US
Examines the impacts of COVID-19 on physical activity in 25 states, comparing rural and urban responses from 278 survey participants. Discusses disparities in obesity and physical activity rates, and describes barriers to physical activity.
Author(s): Alan M. Beck, Amanda S. Gilbert, Dixie D. Duncan, Eric M. Wiedenman
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4991
Date: 05/2021
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