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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infrastructure

Youth and Adult Visitation and Physical Activity Intensity at Rural and Urban Parks
Study of physical activity and park use at 15 rural and 15 urban parks in eastern North Dakota. Data taken from systematic observations of park activity. Compares park attributes, visitor demographics and activity, park programming, and walkability between urban and rural parks.
Author(s): James N. Roemmich, LuAnn Johnson, Grace Oberg, Joley E. Beeler, Kelsey E. Ufholz
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(8), 1760
Date: 08/2018
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Much More Than Money — The Impact of Small Rural Foundations
Blog post describing 5 ways in which small foundations in rural areas leverage non-financial assets to improve their communities.
Author(s): Allen Smart
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: Exponent Philanthropy
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Investing in Rural America: Bringing Progress and Economic Opportunity to Rural Communities
Provides an overview of the state of the rural economy, as well as policy proposals to revitalize rural communities. Chapter 4 covers rural infrastructure, including broadband, and chapter 7 discusses access to affordable healthcare in rural areas.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee Democrats
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Addressing Health and Health Care Needs in the United States-Mexico Border Region
Policy position brief describing geography and demographics of the border region, population health and healthcare issues, factors contributing to the health crisis, public policy implications, and suggestions for addressing needs. Comprises Executive Summary and Full Report.
Author(s): Brian Lady, Carrie Henning-Smith, Susan Kunz
Date: 05/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: Opportunities Exist to Enhance Federal Agency Needs Assessment and Coordination on Tribal Projects
Reports on the state of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure on tribal lands. Features recommendations for the Indian Health Service and the USDA to address these needs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment: Sixth Report to Congress
Describes the results of the 2015 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment at the national and state levels. Includes information and statistics describing small water systems serving populations of 3,300 or fewer and addresses the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native Village water systems.
Date: 03/2018
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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National Trends in Drinking Water Quality Violations
Examines patterns in health-related violations in the Safe Drinking Water Act by analyzing data from 17,900 community water systems from 1982-2015. Identifies vulnerability factors in communities and water systems. Includes a rural and urban comparison of total violations by water system, and provides county-level information on violation hot spots and spatial trends in community water systems.
Author(s): Maura Allaire, Haowei Wu, Upmanu Lall
Citation: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), 115(9), 2078-2083
Date: 02/2018
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Integrating Economic Resilience in Performance-Based Transportation Planning
Details a report on community transportation planning based on economic performance. Discusses measures to factor in the demands of local economies and community wealth creation into transportation planning. Features several rural examples.
Date: 01/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Creating Connections What Broadband Means for Rural America
Offers articles on the challenges of providing broadband access in rural areas, federal policy options, and other local stakeholders working on solutions to build and strengthen rural communities. Includes discussion on how Garrett County, Maryland successfully expanded broadband access, and how tribes are building infrastructure to provide broadband access for their members.
Citation: Rural Voices, 22(2)
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Advancing Obesity Solutions Through Investments in the Built Environment: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes a September 2017 workshop focused on the role of the built environment in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Identifies promising strategies to create more healthful environments. Contains some discussion specific to rural areas and small communities, including efforts to support physical activity throughout Montana.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Roundtable on Obesity Solutions
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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