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: Obesity and weight control

The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2011–2012
Describes data from the National Survey of Children's Health demonstrating the health and well-being of children, as well as the family environment and the characteristics of the community that affect rural children and their families.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
view details
Nutrition-Related Policy and Environmental Strategies to Prevent Obesity in Rural Communities: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2002-2013
Summarizes findings from 29 rural studies of obesity prevention interventions using nutrition-related and environmental strategies. Includes interventions in school, tribal, farmers market, and other settings. Discusses common strategies for adapting and implementing these programs in rural communities.
Author(s): Larissa Calancie, Jennifer Leeman, Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 04/2015
view details
Disparities Persist in Nutrition Policies and Practices in Minnesota Secondary Schools
Examines school nutrition policies and practices by school characteristics in Minnesota secondary schools between 2008 and 2012. Compares school nutrition policies by rural versus urban/suburban location and across three main areas: the availability of low-nutrient, energy dense (LNED) items, strategies to engage students in healthy eating, and restrictions on advertising LNED products around the school.
Author(s): Caitlin Eicher Caspi, Cynthia Davey, Toben F. Nelson, et al.
Citation: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(3), 419-425
Date: 03/2015
view details
Lack of Healthy Food Options on Children's Menus of Restaurants in the Health-Disparate Dan River Region of Virginia and North Carolina, 2013
Community-based participatory research study describing the quality of food on children's menus in 137 restaurants located in three predominantly rural counties in Virginia and North Carolina, areas with high rates of diabetes and obesity among adults. Looked at healthy eating options for rural compared to urban locations and for areas that are predominantly Black, White, and mixed race.
Author(s): Jennie L. Hill, Nicole C. Olive, Clarice N. Waters, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 03/2015
view details
Evaluation of a Pilot Healthy Eating Intervention in Restaurants and Food Stores of a Rural Community: A Randomized Community Trial
Examines 2 rural Midwest U.S. communities, one community serving as the control and the other receiving the Waupaca Eating Smart (WES) intervention designed to improve the food environment and promote healthy eating in restaurants and supermarkets. Includes statistics on nutrition environment scores, customer satisfaction with food choice availability, and food purchase history for both before and after the intervention.
Author(s): Ana P. Martínez-Donate, Ann Josie Riggall, Amy M. Meinen, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 15, 136
Date: 02/2015
view details
Hawaiian Weight Management Program Aims for Healthy, Happy Lives
Highlights Kūlana Hawaii, a weight management program employs an integrated team of health professionals to address internal and external factors relating to weight management on the islands of Oahu and Molokai.
Author(s): Jami Schumacher
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2015
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Physicians Providing Leadership for Rural Communities
Identifies ways in which physicians can address unfavorable child outcomes (e.g. unplanned pregnancy, tobacco addiction, mental health disorders) by working with other groups and forming coalitions within the rural community.
Author(s): David T. Tayloe Jr
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 76(1), 31-32
Date: 01/2015
view details
The Impact of Chronic Disease in Ohio: 2015
Reports the rates of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes in the state of Ohio by county. Includes statistics and data by age range, gender, income level, education, and risk factors. Offers rural-specific data for health disparities and social determinants of health.
Author(s): Carrie Hornbeck, John Kollman, Tyler Payne, Holly Sobotka
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Ohio Department of Health
view details
The Social Determinants of Health of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity: A Research Framework
Examines the social determinants of health related to childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes from a Native perspective, considering historical trauma, self-determination, and cultural factors. Looks at currently available information, identifies gaps, and provides a research framework to help build a better understanding of the causes of child obesity among Native Americans.
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Notah Begay III Foundation
view details
Rural Healthy People 2020: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2020, Volume 1
Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities. Includes overviews of the top 10 rural health priority areas identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 2 discusses priorities 11-20.) Topics addressed include: health insurance, primary care, emergency services, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, mental health, substance abuse, heart disease and stroke, physical activity, older adults, maternal and child health, and tobacco use. Each overview includes reviews of the relevant literature and models that rural communities can use to address the issues. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
view details