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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Rural Public Health Systems: Challenges and Opportunities for Improving Population Health
Reviews published scientific articles and selected literature from non-commercial publishers concerning rural public health systems and local health departments. Includes key findings on topics such as assessment, policy development, assurance, and accreditation to meet national standards.
Author(s): Nathan L. Hale
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: AcademyHealth
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Perceived Ease of Access to Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Substances in Rural and Urban US Students
Examines differences in perceived ease of access to both legal and illegal substances for adolescents in rural and urban areas of Georgia. Provides statistics with breakdowns by substance, rural/urban, and middle versus high school students.
Author(s): Jacob Warren, K. Bryant Smalley, K. Nikki Barefoot
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 15(4), 3397
Date: 10/2015
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Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in America: Priorities, Challenges, and Opportunities
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on mental health and substance abuse challenges in the U.S. Includes testimonies from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, and National Institute of Mental Health regarding the federal government's role, how well their programs are working, obstacles, and recommendations. Additional link to HRSA administrator's testimony highlights efforts focused on rural areas.
Additional links: Jim Macrae Testimony
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Implications of Rural Residence and Single Mother Status for Maternal Smoking Behaviors
Reports on a study using survey data to analyze and compare smoking behaviors of rural and urban mothers, both single and married, to determine if there is a relationship between prevalence of smoking, rurality, and single mother status.
Author(s): Jean A. Talbot, Donald Szlosek, Erika C. Ziller
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Diffusion of Physicians and Access To Primary Care: The Role of Person, Program, and Place
Examines factors which influence physicians' decisions to move into or out of Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and analyzes characteristics that may cause counties to gain or lose HPSA designation, using data from 2006, 2011, and 2013. Includes statistics with breakdowns such as change in physician-to-population ratio in urban, rural HPSA, and rural non-HPSA counties from 2010 to 2012, rates of inter-county and inter-state moves among physicians from 2006 to 2013, and characteristics of physicians by category of move.
Author(s): Thomas C. Ricketts
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Comparison of Rates of Emergency Department Procedures and Critical Diagnoses in Metropolitan and Rural Hospitals
Compares experiences of emergency physicians practicing in rural and urban emergency departments to determine differences in the rates of selected procedures and critical diagnoses. Addresses the potential implications for rural emergency department rotations.
Author(s): James Waymack, Stephen Markwell, Joseph Milbrandt, Ted R. Clark
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 15(4), 3298
Date: 10/2015
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Motor Vehicle Crashes, Medical Outcomes, and Hospital Charges Among Children Aged 1-12 Years - Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System, 11 States, 2005-2008
Reports on age- and size-appropriate restraint use for children involved in motor vehicle accidents, based on data from 11 states. Lists restraint use for different age groups by the location of the crash in rural compared to urban areas.
Author(s): Erin K. Sauber-Schatz, Andrea M. Thomas, Lawrence J. Cook
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 64(SS08), 1-32
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Delay Discounting and Self-Reported Impulsivity in Adolescent Smokers and Nonsmokers Living in Rural Appalachia
Examines whether impulsivity is associated with adolescent smoking status in rural Appalachian regions of Ohio and Kentucky. Impulsivity data was collected for two measures, delay discounting and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11, through self-reported assessments. Includes demographic data on adolescent smokers and nonsmokers by number of cigarettes per day, number of friends who smoke, whether their closest friend smokes, and if at least one parent smokes.
Author(s): Russell Lewis, Millie Harris, Stacey A. Slone, Brent J. Shelton, Brady Reynolds
Citation: The American Journal on Addictions, 24(6), 492-494
Date: 09/2015
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Not Just an Urban Phenomenon: Uninsured Rural Trauma Patients at Increased Risk for Mortality
Examines major trauma centers serving rural states to determine if rural uninsured patients have an increased risk of traumatic death. Includes data by type of insurance and rurality.
Author(s): Azeemuddin Ahmed, Karisa K. Harland, Bryce Hoffman, et al.
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 16(5), 632-641
Date: 09/2015
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Individual and Neighborhood Predictors of Mortality among HIV-Positive Latinos with History of Injection Drug Use, Florida, 2000–2011
Examines individual and neighborhood predictors of mortality in HIV-positive Latinos with a history of injection drug use (IDU) in Florida. Provides demographic and other information on individuals age 13 and older diagnosed with HIV, with data for those with and without a history of IDU. Offers zip code-level characteristics, including rural/urban location. Includes implications for targeting prevention strategies in rural areas.
Author(s): Diana M. Sheehan, Mary Jo Trepka, Kristopher P. Fennie, et al.
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 154, 243-250
Date: 09/2015
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