Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Populations
Occupant Restraint Use in 2025: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study
Presents results from the 2025 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2024 and 2025 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Presents results from the 2025 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2024 and 2025 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): National Center for Statistics and Analysis
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model: Evaluation Report 3
Presents findings from the first two years of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model; the impacts of the InCK Model on navigation and coordination, utilization and expenditures, quality of care, and beneficiary and caregiver experience of care; and the extent to which service changes or disruptions occurred and impacted care delivery. Identifies award recipients serving rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Presents findings from the first two years of the implementation of the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model, which aims to improve health outcomes for Medicaid-enrolled children with complex physical and behavioral health needs. Provides an overview of the InCK Model and profiles each InCK award recipient's model; the impacts of the InCK Model on navigation and coordination, utilization and expenditures, quality of care, and beneficiary and caregiver experience of care; and the extent to which service changes or disruptions occurred and impacted care delivery. Identifies award recipients serving rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Significant Mediation by Sadness and Self-Injury Is Observed in Associations Between County-Level Cyberbullying Victimization and Youth Suicidality in Rural New York State
Explores the relationship between cyberbullying, traditional bullying, and suicidality in rural counties in New York State. Highlights rates of bullying and cyberbullying, self-harm, recreational screen time, and other measures by demographic characteristic data.
Author(s): Laura E. Jones, Riya Nadkarni, Nicole Krupa
Citation: Journal of Affective Disorders, 401(15), 121270
Date: 05/2026
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Explores the relationship between cyberbullying, traditional bullying, and suicidality in rural counties in New York State. Highlights rates of bullying and cyberbullying, self-harm, recreational screen time, and other measures by demographic characteristic data.
Author(s): Laura E. Jones, Riya Nadkarni, Nicole Krupa
Citation: Journal of Affective Disorders, 401(15), 121270
Date: 05/2026
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Medicare Telehealth Trends Report
Describes the trends of telehealth utilization among Medicare beneficiaries between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2025. Presents data on the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries that used a telehealth service by calendar quarter and by Medicaid eligibility, type of Medicare eligibility, demographic characteristics, and rural/urban residence.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Describes the trends of telehealth utilization among Medicare beneficiaries between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2025. Presents data on the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries that used a telehealth service by calendar quarter and by Medicaid eligibility, type of Medicare eligibility, demographic characteristics, and rural/urban residence.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Demographic Profiles and Disparities in All Liver Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus Patients - Related Mortality among Older Adults (≥ 65) in the United States, 1999 to 2020
Examines mortality rates of diabetes mellitus (DM) and all liver diseases (All-LD) in older adults from 1999 to 2020 in the United States. Utilizes the CDC-WONDER Multiple Cause of Death database to analyze 95,870 deaths related to All-LD and DM according to demographics, census region, place of death, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Mansuor A. Alanazi, Saeed Ali Alshahrani, Ali Elkarouri, et al.
Citation: BMC Gastroenterology, 26, 287
Date: 04/2026
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Examines mortality rates of diabetes mellitus (DM) and all liver diseases (All-LD) in older adults from 1999 to 2020 in the United States. Utilizes the CDC-WONDER Multiple Cause of Death database to analyze 95,870 deaths related to All-LD and DM according to demographics, census region, place of death, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Mansuor A. Alanazi, Saeed Ali Alshahrani, Ali Elkarouri, et al.
Citation: BMC Gastroenterology, 26, 287
Date: 04/2026
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Implementing Measurement-Based Care in Virtual Mental Health Services for Rural Veterans: Provider Insights from a Pre-Implementation Evaluation
Examines behavioral health provider perspectives on measurement-based care (MBC) implementation in rural and virtual Veterans Health Administration (VHA) settings in the South Central United States. Utilizes qualitative survey feedback from 46 providers on issues such as MBC use, benefits and drawbacks of MBC, and educational needs for successful MBC implementation.
Author(s): Amanda Heeren, Kimberly McCoy, Lindsey Fuhrmeister, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 26, 694
Date: 04/2026
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Examines behavioral health provider perspectives on measurement-based care (MBC) implementation in rural and virtual Veterans Health Administration (VHA) settings in the South Central United States. Utilizes qualitative survey feedback from 46 providers on issues such as MBC use, benefits and drawbacks of MBC, and educational needs for successful MBC implementation.
Author(s): Amanda Heeren, Kimberly McCoy, Lindsey Fuhrmeister, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 26, 694
Date: 04/2026
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Patient-Centered Burdens and Economic Outcomes among Patients Who Are Veterans, People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and People Living in Rural Areas and Their Caregivers: A Scoping Review
Provides a literature review on patient-centered burdens and economic outcomes (PCBEOs) for military veterans, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and people living in rural areas. Includes 126 studies from 2015-2025 and examines for PCBEOs such as direct medical and non-medical monetary costs, indirect impacts such as unpaid caregiving and time off work, and intangible burdens such as delayed career advancement. Discusses emotional and psychological strain of PCBEOs among these groups.
Author(s): Naomi Buell, Ella Shenkar, Sydney Kirsch, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 04/2026
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Provides a literature review on patient-centered burdens and economic outcomes (PCBEOs) for military veterans, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), and people living in rural areas. Includes 126 studies from 2015-2025 and examines for PCBEOs such as direct medical and non-medical monetary costs, indirect impacts such as unpaid caregiving and time off work, and intangible burdens such as delayed career advancement. Discusses emotional and psychological strain of PCBEOs among these groups.
Author(s): Naomi Buell, Ella Shenkar, Sydney Kirsch, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 14
Date: 04/2026
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Characteristics of Firearm Injuries among Rural-Versus Urban-Residing Veterans Who Presented to VA Healthcare, 2010-2019
Presents a study using administrative data and electronic health records from VA health systems to compare firearm injuries among rural and urban veterans. Breaks down rural and urban veteran data by patient characteristics, such as age, marital status, and behavioral health diagnoses, among others.
Author(s): AnnaMarie S. O'Neill, Lauren A. Maxim, Tess A. Gilbert, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70153
Date: 04/2026
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Presents a study using administrative data and electronic health records from VA health systems to compare firearm injuries among rural and urban veterans. Breaks down rural and urban veteran data by patient characteristics, such as age, marital status, and behavioral health diagnoses, among others.
Author(s): AnnaMarie S. O'Neill, Lauren A. Maxim, Tess A. Gilbert, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70153
Date: 04/2026
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Emergency Department Visits and Deaths Due to ATV Crashes - Alaska, 2019 - 2024
Describes the geographic distribution, age range, and injury type of 4,421 all-terrain vehicle (ATVs) related emergency department visits in Alaska between 2019 and 2024. Discusses frequent use of ATVs in rural Alaska and offers safety messaging for use in intervention initiatives.
Author(s): Joe McLaughlin, Jared Parrish
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Health
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Describes the geographic distribution, age range, and injury type of 4,421 all-terrain vehicle (ATVs) related emergency department visits in Alaska between 2019 and 2024. Discusses frequent use of ATVs in rural Alaska and offers safety messaging for use in intervention initiatives.
Author(s): Joe McLaughlin, Jared Parrish
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Health
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Access to Phones and Use of International Numbers Among Farmworkers in North Carolina, 2023–2024
Explores access to and use of phones among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina to identify barriers to managing healthcare and reporting emergencies. Discusses how international phone numbers impact participation with the healthcare system.
Author(s): Abdul G. Zahra, Leslie E. Cofie, Catherine E. LePrevost, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 2026
Date: 04/2026
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Explores access to and use of phones among migrant and seasonal farmworkers in North Carolina to identify barriers to managing healthcare and reporting emergencies. Discusses how international phone numbers impact participation with the healthcare system.
Author(s): Abdul G. Zahra, Leslie E. Cofie, Catherine E. LePrevost, et al.
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 2026
Date: 04/2026
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