This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Mortality

Urban-Rural Differences in Mortality for Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalizations in the United States
Examines differences in mortality rates for rural and urban hospitals for patients hospitalized for atrial fibrillation (AF). Addresses differences by patient demographic characteristics, as well as common secondary diagnoses.
Author(s): Wesley T. O'Neal, Pratik B. Sandesara, Heval M. Kelli, Sanjay Venkatesh, Elsayed Z. Soliman
Citation: Heart Rhythm, 15(2), 175-179
Date: 02/2018
view details
Pain in the Nation Update: Deaths from Alcohol, Drugs and Suicide Reach the Highest Level Ever Recorded
Report details deaths related to alcohol, drugs, and suicide across the nation. Highlights rates for non-metro areas, as well as by sex, and by age groups, among others.
Date: 02/2018
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
view details
The Opioid Crisis: Impact on Children and Families
Presents the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hearing on the opioid crisis's effect on children and families. Features testimony from representatives of the 525 Foundation, Casey Family Programs, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Date: 02/2018
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
view details
Urban-Rural County and State Differences in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease — United States, 2015
Examines rural-urban chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) disparities. Compares age-adjusted COPD prevalence, Medicare hospitalizations for COPD, and mortality for rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan residents. Also includes state-level data on the percentage rural residents and age-adjusted estimates of selected COPD measures.
Author(s): Janet B. Croft, Anne G. Wheaton, Yong Liu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(7), 205-211
Date: 02/2018
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Differences Between Rural and Urban Areas in Mortality Rates for the Leading Causes of Infant Death: United States, 2013–2015
Examines mortality rates for the five leading causes of infant, neonatal, and postneonatal death for rural, small and medium urban, and large urban counties, based on location of the mother's residence. Causes examined are congenital malformations, low birthweight, sudden infant death syndrome, maternal complications, and unintentional injuries.
Additional links: Questions for the Author, NCHStats blog
Author(s): Danielle M. Ely, Donna L. Hoyert
Date: 02/2018
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Health, United States, 2017: With Special Feature on Mortality
An annual overview of national trends in health statistics covering health status and determinants, healthcare utilization, access, and expenditures. Includes rural data - see the Trend Tables Data Finder and select "Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan" under Population Subgroups. The 2017 edition focuses on mortality and covers 114 trend tables highlighting health status and determinants; healthcare utilization, healthcare resources, and healthcare expenditures.
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
The Road to ZER0: A Vision for Achieving Zero Roadway Deaths by 2050
Highlights a report that details potential traffic safety measures necessary to achieve zero roadway deaths by 2050. Discusses the different traffic safety challenges unique to rural communities, as well as successful measures that reduce rural traffic fatalities.
Author(s): Liisa Ecola, Steven W. Popper, Richard Silberglitt, Laura Fraade-Blanar
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organizations: National Safety Council, RAND Corporation
view details
The Opioid Crisis in Rural and Small Town America
Provides data on opioid mortality rates in 2016 and changes in opioid mortality from 1999 through 2016 for metropolitan and nonmetro counties. Also provides metro/nonmetro data on drug overdoses by type of opioid - heroin, prescription opioids, synthetic opioids, and unspecified opioids - from 1999 through 2016. Discusses challenges rural areas face in addressing the opioid crisis.
Author(s): Shannon M. Monnat, Khary K. Rigg
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
view details
The Differential Effects of Rural Health Care Access on Race-Specific Mortality
Investigates the association between race-specific rural mortality and the health infrastructure of rural counties using data from the National Center for Health Statistics Compressed Mortality File (2008-2012); county-level demographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare indicators from Health Resources and Services Administration's Area Health Resource File; and the U.S. Census. Covers the rural public health infrastructure index that indicates the presence or absence of 4 types of healthcare measures: public health employees, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) or rural referral centers, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), and emergency departments within counties.
Author(s): Jeralynn Cossman, Wesley James, Julia Kay Wolf
Citation: SSM Population Health, 3, 618-623
Date: 12/2017
view details
A New Approach to Reduce Infant Mortality and Achieve Equity: Policy Recommendations to Improve Housing, Transportation, Education and Employment
Describes new strategies to reduce infant mortality in Ohio. Discusses rural perspectives on multiple topics, including social determinants of health, housing, transportation, education, and employment, and how they relate to infant mortality.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Snapshot
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
view details