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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Characteristics of School Districts Offering Free School Meals to All Students Through the Community Eligibility Provision of the National School Lunch Program
Examines characteristics of school districts that elected to implement the Community Eligibility Provision during the 2015-2016 school year. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural, urban, suburban, or town locations.
Author(s): Stephanie Rogus, Joanne Guthrie, Katherine Ralston
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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National, Regional, State, and Selected Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — United States, 2017
Reports on adolescent vaccination coverage in the United States, based on data from the 2017 National Immunization Survey–Teen (NIS-Teen). Includes data for nonmetropolitan areas. Vaccination coverage estimates are provided for tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap); meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY); human papillomavirus (HPV); hepatitis B; measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); and varicella.
Author(s): Tanja Y. Walker, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, David Yankey, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(33), 909-917
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Geographic Distribution and Survival Outcomes for Rural Patients With Cancer Treated in Clinical Trials
Results of a comparative effectiveness study of 36,995 patients with uniform access to cancer care in treatment trials from 1986-2012. Includes statistics for various types of cancer with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Joseph M. Unger, Anna Moseley, Banu Symington, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 1(4), e181235
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
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Indian Health Service: Agency Faces Ongoing Challenges Filling Provider Vacancies
Reports on the Indian Health Service's (IHS) progress in filling provider vacancies. Discusses the strategies used to attract providers and highlights their strengths and shortcomings. Compares vacancy rates by IHS area.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The HPV Vaccine: Access and Use in the U.S.
Fact sheet discussing HPV and related cancers, HPV vaccines, insurance coverage, and access. Includes statistics from 2011-2015 showing racial and ethnic disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates, and vaccination coverage as of 2016 among female adolescents with breakdowns by urban or rural status and by state.
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Health Care Systems Using Evidence-Based Interventions
Evaluation results for the first program year of the Colorectal Cancer Control Program, a CDC-funded initiative intended to increase screening by primary care and gastroenterological providers among medically underserved populations. Features statistics on participating primary care clinics and screening-eligible patient population counts, with breakdowns by metro, urban, and rural locations.
Author(s): Amy DeGroff, Krishna Sharma, Anamika Satsangi, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 15
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
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Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis–Attributable Years of Potential Life Lost to Life Expectancy and Potential Life Lost Before Age 65 Years — United States, 1999–2016
Examines trends in premature mortality attributed to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP), a preventable occupational lung disease caused by inhaling coal mine dust, based on an analysis of underlying causes of death data from 1999 to 2016.
Author(s): Jacek M. Mazurek, John Wood, David J. Blackley, David N. Weissman
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(30), 819-824
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Non-Medical Opioid Use among Rural and Urban Pregnant Women, 2007-2014
Examines data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) from 2007 to 2014 to determine differences in non-medical opioid use among rural and urban pregnant women. Covers policy and practice implications to inform program and clinical efforts to address the crisis.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Carrie Henning-Smith, Tongtan Chantarat, Tongtan Chantarat, Cresta Jones
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Assessing Effectiveness and Cost-Benefit of the Trinity Hospital Twin City Fit for Life Program for Weight Loss and Diabetes Prevention in a Rural Midwestern Town
Reports on Fit For Life (FFL), a health education program that works to address the causes of obesity in rural settings and helps program participants lose weight. Highlights discussion on assessing effectiveness, replication, and cost-effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in a rural Appalachian Ohio county. Covers lessons learned and practice implications.
Author(s): Timothy McKnight, Jennifer R. Demuth, Natalie Wilson, Jonathon P. Leider, Alana Knudson
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 15
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
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Gender Differences in Social Isolation and Social Support among Rural Residents
Examines gender differences in social isolation and supports among aging rural residents. Includes statistics on perceived loneliness, social support, and social participation by gender. Offers suggestions to reduce social isolation and improve associated health outcomes in rural communities.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Alexandra Ecklund, Ira Moscovice, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 08/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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