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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Mortality

Traffic Safety Facts, 2024 Data: Pedestrians
National data on fatal and nonfatal traffic crashes involving pedestrians. Features statistics from 2015-2024 with breakdowns by sex, age group, blood alcohol concentrations of drivers and pedestrians, state, and rural or urban location.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Pain in the Nation 2026: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths
Report focuses on alcohol, drug, and mortality statistics and trends, with a special feature on suicide and well-being in the United States. Includes data on substance use and mortality, with U.S. maps showing overdose and suicide rates, breakdowns according to metro versus nonmetro location, and state-by-state statistical trends. Provides policy recommendations to address substance use and offers examples from rural areas.
Author(s): Molly Warren, Lauren Battle
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Changes in Staffing, Resident Health, Closure, and Financial Performance of Rural Nursing Homes from 2017 to 2022
Examines changes in various characteristics of nursing homes, using data from 2017-2022. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and small/isolated rural areas.
Author(s): Gulrukh Mehboob, Hari Sharma, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence and Mortality
Results of a study examining rural-urban differences in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence and mortality trends. Uses data from HCC diagnoses from 2001-2022 and deaths from 2007-2022, and features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural counties.
Author(s): Haluk Damgacioglu, Gokhan Uygun, Ashish A. Deshmukh, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(5), e2612323
Date: 05/2026
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Fatal Human Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N5) in a Backyard Flock Owner — Washington, November 2025
Reports on a Washington resident who lived on a rural property, kept ducks that had been ill, and died from acute respiratory failure after receiving a positive influenza A(H5) test result. Describes a multijurisdictional public health response focused on determining exposure sources, identifying people who were exposed, and monitoring for additional cases.
Author(s): Lynae Kibiger, Hanna N. Oltean, Lisa Leitz, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(17), 221-225
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The Golden Hour Is Elusive in Rural Trauma: A 10-year Analysis from a Level I Trauma Center in Montana
Analyzed 4,213 trauma patients between 2012 and 2022 at a Level 1 trauma facility in Montana to determine whether trauma transfer patterns and rurality impacted outcomes. Discusses the goal of offering definitive care within 1 hour of injury and the impact of workforce shortages in rural areas.
Author(s): Jung G. Min, Maggie Smith, Michael S. Englehart, et al.
Citation: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 103, 127-131
Date: 05/2026
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2025 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report
Offers statistics on drug overdose deaths in Kentucky in 2025, based on autopsy and toxicology reports. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by type of drug and age-adjusted mortality rates by county. Includes county-level maps with shadings indicating numbers of deaths involving methamphetamine and fentanyl, and markings to show Appalachian counties.
Author(s): Meghan Steel, Mira Mirzaian, Lara Daniels
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, Kentucky Public Health Association, Team Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, University of Kentucky College of Public Health
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County-Level Social Determinants of Health and Suicide Mortality Trends Among Formerly Incarcerated Persons in North Carolina, 2010–2018
Assesses how county-level factors including educational attainment, unemployment, poverty, aging, racial composition, and rurality are associated with suicide mortality among formerly incarcerated people in North Carolina. Features statistics including mortality rate per 100,000 with breakdowns by year from 2010-2018 and rural or urban county.
Author(s): Monica E. Swilley-Martinez, Brian W. Pence, Kate Vinita Fitch, et al.
Citation: Heath & Justice, 14, 20
Date: 04/2026
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Characteristics of Firearm Injuries among Rural-Versus Urban-Residing Veterans Who Presented to VA Healthcare, 2010-2019
Presents a study using administrative data and electronic health records from VA health systems to compare firearm injuries among rural and urban veterans. Breaks down rural and urban veteran data by patient characteristics, such as age, marital status, and behavioral health diagnoses, among others.
Author(s): AnnaMarie S. O'Neill, Lauren A. Maxim, Tess A. Gilbert, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70153
Date: 04/2026
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Alabama Vital Statistics, 2023
Statistics on births, deaths, marriage, and population in Alabama in 2023. Includes birth rate, maternal demographics and characteristics, causes of death, divorces and annulments, population estimates, and more. Provides county-by-county data, including county-level maps.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Public Health
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