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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Obesity and weight control

Madison Medical Center Hospital Spotlight
Discusses how the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program helped Madison Medical Center use health outcome data and community partnerships to launch an initiative to address high obesity rates. Transcript available under description.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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The Weight of Our Children: New Mexico Childhood Obesity 2022 Update
Provides an overview of childhood obesity in New Mexico from 2010-2022, including prevalence by grade level, sex, and race/ethnicity. Provides strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and a state map of Healthy Kids Healthy Communities (HKHC) counties.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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The Mental Health, Substance Use, Physical Health, and Mental Health Treatment Need of Community Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Hawai'i
Results of a study detailing the health-related needs of Hawai'i's unhoused people, most of whom live in rural areas. Features statistics on self-reported rates of depression and anxiety, illicit substance use, alcohol use, smoking, obesity, and overall physical health.
Author(s): Andrew M. Subica, Daryl S. Sampaga, Jana Ortiz-Misiaszek, Tammy K. K. Martin, Scott K. Okamoto
Citation: Community Mental Health Journal, 59, 1021–1026
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Obesity Prevention and Treatment in Rural America Through Changes in Diet and Food Availability
Policy position paper regarding obesity prevention and treatment through rural-specific programming and equitable coverage. Offers policy recommendations to address obesity among rural populations.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Factors Impacting Implementation of Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies in Rural Schools
Examines school policies and implementation related to nutrition and physical activity (PA) to understand the disproportionate rates of obesity in rural Latino children. Analyzes perceptions of policies and barriers from 20 interviews with stakeholders in Lower Yakima Valley of Eastern Washington State K-12 school districts. Discusses themes such as knowledge of school PA and nutrition policies as well as barriers and facilitators to policy implementation.
Author(s): Caryn Ausenhus, Joshua M. Gold, Cynthia K. Perry, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 23, 308
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Rural Population Health in the United States: A Chartbook
Presents rural population health data by Census region and state, with some data by sex, race, and ethnicity. Includes U.S. maps showing county-level data as well as a variety of charts, including rural-urban disparity charts, state summary charts, and more. Topics addressed include access to care, health outcomes and risks, mortality, social determinants of health, and socioeconomic data.
Author(s): Randy Randolph, Sharita Thomas, Mark Holmes, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Feeding the Residents of Hardeman County Tennessee
Profiles Healthy Hardeman Outreach for Healthy Weight (H2O), a partnership between the Healthcare Bolivar General Hospital (BGH), the Hardeman County Health Department, and Hardeman County Community Health Center to improve access to healthy foods and reduce obesity in the Tennessee county.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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COVID-19 Related Protocol Considerations and Modifications within a Rural, Community-Engaged Health Promotion Randomized Trial
Examines data collection protocol modifications in the Change Club (CC) intervention which aims to improve civic engagement and built environment factors related to obesity and other chronic disease disparities. Analyzes 12 rural communities engaged in the CC intervention and discusses the subsequent measurements to observe intervention impacts, which were adjusted from onsite to self-reported due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes data collection protocols that can establish both rigor and feasibility in rural health research.
Author(s): Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, Galen D. Eldridge, Meredith Graham, et al.
Citation: Methods and Protocols, 6(1), 5
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Barriers, Facilitators, and Opportunities to Promote Healthy Weight Behaviors among Preschool-Aged Children in Two Rural U.S Communities
Examines barriers, facilitators, and opportunities related to supporting wellness and healthy weight in rural preschool children. Utilizes focus group interviews with parents, caregivers, and community organizations as well as observation of built environment to assess healthy eating and physical activity resources. Discusses wellness barriers and facilitators for preschool children at the family, organization, and community levels.
Author(s): Katherine Jochim Pope, Cason Whitcomb, Maihan Vu, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health 23, 53
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Neighborhood Greenspace and Changes in Pediatric Obesity During COVID-19
Examines rates of pediatric obesity before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic as related to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) or greenspace. Analyzes patient electronic health records (EHRs) of 81,418 children who had a pediatric visit between June 2019 and December 2019 and then again between June 2020 and December 2020. Includes demographic breakdowns of EHR patients by age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance type, neighborhood measures such as social/economic deprivation and supermarket access, and urban, suburban, or rural location.
Author(s): Stephanie L. Mayne, Shannon Kelleher, Chloe Hannan, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 64(1), 33-41
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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