Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Obesity and weight control
Chronic Disease Prevalence among New Mexican Adults: Results from the 2023 New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Reports on chronic health conditions in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data. Covers conditions including arthritis, respiratory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and more. Provides data breakdowns for each condition by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
view details
Reports on chronic health conditions in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data. Covers conditions including arthritis, respiratory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and more. Provides data breakdowns for each condition by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
view details
The Weight of Our Children: New Mexico Childhood Obesity 2024 Update
Provides an overview of childhood obesity in New Mexico in 2024, including demographic breakdowns. Provides strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and includes a state map of Healthy Kids Healthy Communities (HKHC) counties.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
view details
Provides an overview of childhood obesity in New Mexico in 2024, including demographic breakdowns. Provides strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and includes a state map of Healthy Kids Healthy Communities (HKHC) counties.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
view details
O the Places Rural Children Will Go…to Get Physical Activity: A Cross Sectional Analysis
Examines locations in which children engage in either moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or sedentary time in the rural Midwest. Utilizes data from 44 participants who wore an activity tracker over a 7-day period and discusses activity in locations labeled as home, home neighborhood, school, school neighborhood, or 'other'. Discusses health issues and access barriers for rural children related to overweight/obesity.
Author(s): Bethany Forseth, Jordan A. Carlson, Adrian Ortega, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 1188
Date: 03/2025
view details
Examines locations in which children engage in either moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or sedentary time in the rural Midwest. Utilizes data from 44 participants who wore an activity tracker over a 7-day period and discusses activity in locations labeled as home, home neighborhood, school, school neighborhood, or 'other'. Discusses health issues and access barriers for rural children related to overweight/obesity.
Author(s): Bethany Forseth, Jordan A. Carlson, Adrian Ortega, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 1188
Date: 03/2025
view details
Association Between Obesogenic Environments and Childhood Overweight/Obesity Across the United States: Differences by Rurality
Examines the impact of environmental factors on childhood obesity in rural areas. Utilizes the Childhood Obesogenic Environment Index (COEI) to analyze statistical differences in rural versus urban counties in the U.S. Discusses the relationship of COEI variables and childhood overweight/obesity rates.
Author(s): Kara Davis, Demetrius A. Abshire, Courtney Monroe, Caroline Rudisill, Andrew T. Kaczynski
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
view details
Examines the impact of environmental factors on childhood obesity in rural areas. Utilizes the Childhood Obesogenic Environment Index (COEI) to analyze statistical differences in rural versus urban counties in the U.S. Discusses the relationship of COEI variables and childhood overweight/obesity rates.
Author(s): Kara Davis, Demetrius A. Abshire, Courtney Monroe, Caroline Rudisill, Andrew T. Kaczynski
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 2025
view details
Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care Final Report - To the General Assembly of Virginia
Recommendations for improvement in healthcare in rural Virginia, based on information from meetings with providers and citizens in rural areas. Areas of focus are health workforce, maternal health, dental care, obesity, telehealth, and transportation.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Commonwealth of Virginia, House Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care
view details
Recommendations for improvement in healthcare in rural Virginia, based on information from meetings with providers and citizens in rural areas. Areas of focus are health workforce, maternal health, dental care, obesity, telehealth, and transportation.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Commonwealth of Virginia, House Select Committee on Advancing Rural and Small Town Health Care
view details
Trends in Gestational Weight Gain and Prepregnancy Obesity in South Carolina, 2015–2021
Examines prepregnancy and gestational weight gain in South Carolina women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes 2015-2021 data from 239,597 mothers with data broken down by weight gain, relative prenatal risk, lifestyle and clinic factors, and sociodemographics of patients, including rurality.
Author(s): Sarah E. Simpson, Angela M. Malek, Chun-Che Wen, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21
Date: 12/2024
view details
Examines prepregnancy and gestational weight gain in South Carolina women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes 2015-2021 data from 239,597 mothers with data broken down by weight gain, relative prenatal risk, lifestyle and clinic factors, and sociodemographics of patients, including rurality.
Author(s): Sarah E. Simpson, Angela M. Malek, Chun-Che Wen, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21
Date: 12/2024
view details
Caring for Pennsylvanians with Dementia and Related Disorders: An Analysis of Needs and Capacity in Rural Areas, 2024 to 2034
Examines potential demand for care of people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing numbers of various types of care facilities and their capacity, and statistics including projections of the population aged 65+ and rate of increase from 2020 to 2040, age-adjusted mortality rate from ADRD, projections of number of ADRD cases by 2040, and impact of smoking and obesity on ADRD, with breakdowns by county.
Author(s): Dara P. Bourassa, Sara A. Grove
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Examines potential demand for care of people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing numbers of various types of care facilities and their capacity, and statistics including projections of the population aged 65+ and rate of increase from 2020 to 2040, age-adjusted mortality rate from ADRD, projections of number of ADRD cases by 2040, and impact of smoking and obesity on ADRD, with breakdowns by county.
Author(s): Dara P. Bourassa, Sara A. Grove
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Is Walk Score a Useful Tool for Measuring Walkability in Rural Communities?
Discuss the utility of measuring walkability in rural communities. Highlights the differences in rural infrastructure and the physical activity practices in rural communities.
Author(s): Jay E. Maddock, Cindy Perry, Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e12895
Date: 11/2024
view details
Discuss the utility of measuring walkability in rural communities. Highlights the differences in rural infrastructure and the physical activity practices in rural communities.
Author(s): Jay E. Maddock, Cindy Perry, Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e12895
Date: 11/2024
view details
Disparities Between Rural and Urban Communities: Response to 18 Months of Diet and Exercise Versus Control for Knee Osteoarthritis and Overweight or Obesity
Examines intervention outcomes related to pain, function, mobility, BMI, and health-related quality of life among rural and urban dwellers in North Carolina. Utilizes data from the Weight Loss and Exercise for Communities with Arthritis in North Carolina (WE-CAN) program, which provided diet and exercise (D+E) and attention control (C) interventions to 823 older adults.
Author(s): Stephen P. Messier, Megan G. Monroe, Leigh F. Callahan, et al.
Citation: Arthritis Care & Research, 77(1), 69-76
Date: 11/2024
view details
Examines intervention outcomes related to pain, function, mobility, BMI, and health-related quality of life among rural and urban dwellers in North Carolina. Utilizes data from the Weight Loss and Exercise for Communities with Arthritis in North Carolina (WE-CAN) program, which provided diet and exercise (D+E) and attention control (C) interventions to 823 older adults.
Author(s): Stephen P. Messier, Megan G. Monroe, Leigh F. Callahan, et al.
Citation: Arthritis Care & Research, 77(1), 69-76
Date: 11/2024
view details
Feasibility of a Culturally Adapted Technology-Delivered, Family-Based Childhood Obesity Intervention for Latino/Hispanic Families in Rural Nebraska: The Hispanic Family Connections Study Protocol
Describes a study protocol to examine the feasibility of delivering a phone-delivered, culturally-tailored family-based childhood obesity (FBCO) program to Latino/Hispanic (L/H) families in rural Nebraska. Provides an overview of study design and implementation, and discusses the importance of addressing barriers to FBCO interventions for rural, L/H families.
Author(s): Fabiana Almeida Brito, Thais Favero Alves, Natalia Santos, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 14, e089186
Date: 10/2024
view details
Describes a study protocol to examine the feasibility of delivering a phone-delivered, culturally-tailored family-based childhood obesity (FBCO) program to Latino/Hispanic (L/H) families in rural Nebraska. Provides an overview of study design and implementation, and discusses the importance of addressing barriers to FBCO interventions for rural, L/H families.
Author(s): Fabiana Almeida Brito, Thais Favero Alves, Natalia Santos, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 14, e089186
Date: 10/2024
view details