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Resources by Topic: Population health

2026 Kids Count Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being
Reports on the trends in overall child wellness, economic well-being, education, health, and family and community support for children nationwide. Includes state-by-state comparisons for each category.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
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Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services Rebalancing Is Concentrated in Large Urban Areas
Compares rural and urban utilization of home and community-based services among Medicaid long-term services and supports users, using 2022 Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System data sourced through an ATI Advisory LTSS user dashboard. Analyzes rural-urban disparities in access by level of rurality and by state.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Laura M. Keohane
Citation: The Journal of the Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association, 27(6), 106208
Date: 06/2026
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Endocrine-Disrupting Pesticides and Breast Cancer Incidence in the United States: An Ecological Analysis
Examines associations between endocrine-disrupting pesticide usage and breast cancer incidence at the county level, using 2001-2015 U.S. Geological Survey Pesticide National Synthesis Project and 2016-2020 NCI State Cancer Profiles data. Includes rural-urban data comparisons.
Author(s): Harish Neelam, Furqan Irfan, Robert Wahl, Kelly A. Hirko
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 37, 104
Date: 06/2026
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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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Rural-Urban Disparity in Postacute Care and 1-Year Outcomes After Ischemic Stroke
Examines how postacute stroke care varies among rural and urban-dwelling ischemic stroke patients, and how mortality, readmission, and home time varied at 1 year. Uses 2017-2022 Medicare beneficiary data.
Author(s): Shumei Man, Jie-Lena Sun, Brooke Alhanti, et al.
Citation: Stroke, 57(7), 2138-2149
Date: 05/2026
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Wisconsin State Health Assessment 2025
Provides an overview of population health in Wisconsin, focusing on demographics, social determinants of health, health behaviors, health outcomes, and community health infrastructure. Includes rural versus urban and county-level data points and discusses key health issues in Wisconsin.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
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Comparing Patient and Provider Perspectives on a Rural, Multilevel, Community-Engaged Food Is Medicine Intervention
Compares perspectives of 25 low-income patients with chronic disease risk and 19 healthcare providers in the rural Mississippi Delta on potential impacts of a food is medicine (FIM) program. Discusses themes regarding health status improvement, improvements to food insecurity, diet-related disease management and healthcare delivery, implementation barriers, and program adherence.
Author(s): Danielle M. Krobath, Vanessa Nicholson-Robinson, Yarisbel Melo Herrera, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(5)
Date: 05/2026
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Equine-Related Injuries in Rural Oklahoma: A 10-Year Experience Emphasizing Genitourinary Trauma
Examines how equine-related injuries differed by mechanism, location, genitourinary injury prevalence, and severity in Oklahoma, using May 2015 through December 2025 trauma registry data on 259 injuries. Discusses how predominantly rural activities including ranching and recreation influence horse-related injury prevalence.
Author(s): James Charles, Vsevolod Shurkhay, Jianqiang Huo, et al.
Citation: World Journal of Urology, 44(1), 378
Date: 05/2026
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Dementia Diagnostic Deserts: Workforce and Geographic Inequities in the Diagnostic Pathway for Cognitive Impairment
Describes the "Triple Disadvantage Zones" or the places where rurality, Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas, and social deprivation converge to create a dementia diagnostic desert resulting in both delayed diagnosis and over-testing. Discusses training gaps for nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well as policy measures to mitigate diagnosis errors.
Author(s): Zhijing Xu, Ying Xue, Yaguang Zheng, Bei Wu
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 4(5)
Date: 05/2026
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A Geographic Disparities Analysis Between Standard of Care and Clinical Trial CAR-T Patients in Kansas
Examines demographic and geographic disparities in cancer care access within clinical trials at the University of Kansas Cancer Center (KUCC) as well as standard-of-care (SOC) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy at the University of Kansas Health System (TUKHS). Provides data breakdowns according to treatment type, demographics, rural versus urban location, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designation, and distance to the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC). Discusses the importance of access to (CAR)-T cell therapy and need for targeted outreach in rural and HPSA-designated areas.
Author(s): Sam Pepper, Aliya Rashid, Carine Tabak, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 15(5), e71974
Date: 05/2026
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