Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice
Examines factors that influence maternal and newborn care in the United States, including social determinants such as geographic variability in access to birth settings. Explores challenges faced by women in rural and underserved areas. Includes statistics on infant mortality rates in 2014 with breakdowns by rural or urban locations, and county-level maps showing access to providers and hospitals offering obstetric services.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Children, Youth, and Families
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Rural-Urban Differences In Severe Maternal Morbidity And Mortality In The US, 2007–15
Analyzes severe maternal morbidity and mortality among rural and urban residents during childbirth. Examines data from the 2007-2015 National Inpatient Sample with breakdowns according to age, insurance type, race/ethnicity, income, Census region, and rurality. Discusses policy implications and strategies to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Carrie Henning-Smith, Lindsay K. Admon
Citation: Health Affairs, 38, 12
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
view details
Rural-Urban Differences in Financial Burden among Cancer Survivors: An Analysis of a Nationally Representative Survey
Analyzes 2012, 2014, and 2017 data from the National Cancer Institute's Health Information and National Trends Survey to determine differences in reported financial problems due to cancer in rural and urban populations. Table 1 provides a rural and urban comparison on several demographic and cancer characteristics, including gender, age, marital status, race and ethnicity, income, insurance status, and several factors related to cancer treatment.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Melinda M. Davis, Jason S. Rotter, et al.
Citation: Supportive Care in Cancer, 27(12), 4779-4786
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
view details
Engagement With Project ECHO to Increase Medication-Assisted Treatment in Rural Primary Care
Examines a study on the barriers and facilitators to implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder between Project ECHO and rural primary care providers in New Mexico. Bases conclusions on post-ECHO intervention interviews with rural primary care providers and discusses external factors that could factor into the implementation of MAT.
Author(s): Julie Salvador, Snehal Bhatt, Rebecca Fowler, et al.
Citation: Psychiatric Services, 70(12), 1157-1160
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
view details
Rural–Urban Disparities in Pregnancy Intentions, Births, and Abortions Among US Adolescent and Young Women, 1995–2017
Study examining disparities in intendedness and resolution of first pregnancies among rural and urban adolescent and young women using 2002-2017 data from the National Survey of Family Growth. Breaks down data by race/ethnicity, by urban, rural, and suburban residence, and by state. Discusses public health implications of the findings.
Author(s): April Sutton, Daniel T. Lichter, Sharon Sassler
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(12), 1762-1769
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
view details
Challenges of Using Nationally Representative, Population-Based Surveys to Assess Rural Cancer Disparities
Examines research methods in studies of rural cancer-related health behaviors and disparities, exploring the definition of "rural" in population-based national surveys, complications for rural cancer studies, and possible solutions to improve survey accuracy. Discusses prominent data sources, including the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS), and the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), and examines use of these data sources in 68 published studies.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Natoshia Askelson, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Preventative Medicine, 129 Supplement, 105812
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
view details
Rural Physical Activity Interventions in the United States: A Systematic Review and RE-AIM Evaluation
Using the Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, examines the validity and design of rural physical activity intervention studies. Analyzes 40 reports that represent 29 studies of intervention programs. Discusses role of research in developing understandings of rurality, health, and behavior and the role of physical activity programs in addressing health disparities.
Author(s): Nishat Bhuiyan, Pritika Singh, Samantha M. Harden, Scherezade K. Mama
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16, 140
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
view details
An Analysis of Utah's Emergency Department Non-traumatic Dental Visits 2007-2017
Report explores the non-traumatic oral healthcare visits handled by emergency departments in Utah from 2007 to 2017. Looks at data by rural and urban hospital location, diagnosis, and payers, among other measures.
Author(s): Michelle Martin, Michelle Silver, Brittney Okada, et al.
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Utah Department of Health and Human Services
view details
Congestive Heart Failure-Related Hospital Deaths Across the Urban-Rural Continuum in the United States
Examines current trends in congestive heart failure (CHF)-related hospital deaths with an emphasis on rural-urban differences for each census region. 2009-2014 data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was used, focusing on adult hospital admissions with CHF identified as the principal diagnosis. Results from this study may aid in identifying geographic areas needing interventions to improve access to care and to reduce CHF mortality.
Author(s): Kristin Primm, Alva O. Ferdinand, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 16
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
view details
Achieving Health Equity in Preventive Services: Evidence Summary
Summarizes research on achieving health equity in preventive services including screening, counseling, medication, and management for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in adult patients by identifying the effects of impediments and barriers that create disparities, and the effectiveness of strategies and interventions to reduce them. Study reports barriers that resulted in or explained a disparity in preventive service, and the effectiveness of the clinician-patient relationship, health information technology, and health system intervention. Studies included African American, Hispanic, Korean and Chinese American, and rural and low-income patients.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details