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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infrastructure

A Participatory Regional Partnership Approach to Promote Nutrition and Physical Activity Through Environmental and Policy Change in Rural Missouri
A case study of Healthier Missouri Communities (Healthier MO), a community-based research project in 12 counties in rural southeast Missouri. Describes a group process to identify and select promising evidence-based interventions to promote nutrition and physical activity.
Author(s): Ellen K. Barnidge, Elizabeth A. Baker, Amy Estlund, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 06/2015
Type: Document
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Kick the Bucket: The Future of Rural Sanitation in Alaska
Discusses the challenges rural Alaska communities face related to installing and maintaining water and sewage treatment facilities, particularly as climate change impacts the region's infrastructure. Discusses the health impacts of a lack of running water and flush toilets. A series reporting on water and sewage treatment in rural Alaska.
Additional links: Experts Seek Alternatives To Costly, Ineffective Sanitation Systems, Health Implications of Third World Conditions in Alaska, Lack of Funding Hampers Development of Modern Sanitation in Rural Alaska, Rural Sanitation Series: Innovating Beyond the Honey Bucket
Date: 05/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Public Media
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Healthy Vinton: A Health Impact Assessment Focused on Water and Sanitation in a Small Rural Town on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Reports on the findings of a Health Impact Assessment (HIA) regarding water quality, sanitation infrastructure, and the health of residents in a predominantly Hispanic rural community along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Author(s): William L. Hargrove, Patricia M. Juárez-Carillo, Marcelo Korc
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(4), 3864–3888
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
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Rural Water Infrastructure: Federal Agencies Provide Funding but Could Increase Coordination to Help Communities
Discusses the issues impacting rural water and wastewater systems, including the need to upgrade aging and obsolete infrastructure. Identifies federal agencies that provide funding and technical assistance to rural communities related to drinking water and wastewater.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Development of a Nationally Representative Built Environment Measure of Access to Exercise Opportunities
Describes the development of a county-level measure of residents' access to physical exercise opportunities, based on proximity to parks and recreational facilities. This measure is used in County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Includes a national map showing county-level access to adequate exercise options.
Author(s): Anne M. Roubal, Amanda Jovaag, Hyojun Park, Keith P. Gennuso
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
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Ground Water Contamination - Getting Up to Speed
An overview of natural and man-made sources of ground water contamination. Discusses the health effects of contamination, as well as federal regulations related to water quality.
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Rural Communities: A Two-Pronged Approach for Improving Walking and Bicycling
Outlines infrastructure solutions rural communities can use to encourage and support biking and walking, as a means of improving the health of rural residents.
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Safe Routes to School National Partnership
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Rural Communities: Making Safe Routes Work
Describes the benefits of making walking and biking safer for rural children. Discusses implementing the Safe Routes to School approach in rural communities, with ideas for how to get started.
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Safe Routes to School National Partnership
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Assessing Environmental Support for Better Health: Active Living Opportunity Audits in Rural Communities in the Southern United States
Describes the built environment, policies, and availability of facilities for physical activity in eight rural communities, four in Alabama and four in the Mississippi Delta, to inform diet and physical activity interventions. Acts as part of a partnership to eliminate cancer health disparities in the Deep South. Includes community data by Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) measures, such as sidewalks, destinations, and walk-ability.
Author(s): Jennifer C. Robinson, Tiffany L. Carson, Erica R. Johnson, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 66, 28-33
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
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The Associations Between Park Environments and Park Use in Southern US Communities
Examines park use, characteristics associated with parks and neighborhood environments in rural communities, and the relationship between park characteristics and park use. Includes data for 6 parks by demographics and park environment characteristics, such as park amenities or percent rural population.
Author(s): Jorge A. Banda, Sara Wilcox, Natalie Colabianchi, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 30(4), 369-378
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
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