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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Populations

Association of Co-Occurring Mental Health Problems with Hepatitis C Status among Young People Who Inject Drugs in Rural New Mexico, 2016–2018
Study examining mental health problems and hepatitis C virus (HCV) for young adult people who inject drugs (PWID) in 2 rural New Mexico counties. Analyzes data from a parent study of 263 patients, discussing implications for addiction treatment and HCV prevention in rural settings.
Author(s): Akash Gupta, Fatma M. Shebl, Yao Tong, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science and Clinical Practice, 17, 58
Date: 10/2022
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Spatial Analysis of Breast Cancer Mortality Rates in a Rural State
Examines breast cancer mortality rates in South Dakota women as related to sociodemographic and county-level factors. Includes county-level state maps of age-adjusted mortality rates and cancer incidence.
Author(s): Marisa Schulz, Emma Spors, Kari Bates, Semhar Michael
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 10/2022
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Maternal Health: Availability of Hospital-Based Obstetric Care in Rural Areas
Explores the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural areas. Summarizes stakeholder perspectives on the factors affecting the availability of these services and on the efforts federal agencies, states, and others could take to increase the access to obstetric care. Highlights six programs identified by researchers and provider associations as effective at increasing obstetric care in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Changes in Emergency Department Visits in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April–December 2020), 29 States
Presents data from 29 states on the difference between the number of emergency department (ED) visits and ED admission rates between April and December 2020 and compares this data to the same time period in 2019. Includes data by patient characteristics, including urban-rural status.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Association of Health Insurance, Geography, and Race and Ethnicity with Disparities in Receipt of Recommended Postpartum Care in the US
Explores whether there is a significant difference in the characteristics of patients who received a postpartum visit and the content covered in these visits. Uses data from the 2016-2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveys to compare visit attendance and content across health insurance type, rural or urban residency, and race and ethnicity.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Lindsay Admon, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 3(10), e223292
Date: 10/2022
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How Alaska Supports Rural and Frontier Behavioral Health Services
Describes Alaska's Behavioral Health Aide (BHA) program, a non-licensed provider type designed to promote behavioral health and wellness in Alaska Native individuals, families, and communities through culturally relevant training and education. Discusses qualifications for the BHA certification, payment, and next steps for other states seeking to develop similar programs.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Rural Young Women Show Increases in Higher Educational Attainment Compared to Rural Young Men
Stacked bar charts showing educational attainment for young women (age 25-34) in 1990 and 2020 and for young men (age 25-34) in 1990 and 2020.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Students' Access to the Internet
Provides percentages of students who have access to fixed broadband by city, suburban, town, and rural locale, which is further broken down by fringe, distant, or remote areas. Includes discussions of related broadband issues such as influences of poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
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Early Childhood Care and Education Programs in Rural Areas
Provides statistics on the percentage of children under 6 years and their access to child care by city, suburban, town, and rural locale. Includes discussions related to child care services such as impacts on parental employment and child development.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2022
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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