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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Public health

Eighth Biennial Report 2025: Health Issues for the State of North Dakota
Updates the previous seven editions of this report with a comprehensive examination of healthcare workforce licensure data related to number of licensed professionals, locations, specialties, and demographics in rural and urban North Dakota. Includes three new chapters on indigenous health, women's and children's health, and the community impacts of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
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A Systemic Safety Study of Pedestrians in Tribal Areas
Examines pedestrian safety risks in tribal areas, identifies high-risk areas that contribute to injuries and fatalities, and provides countermeasures to improve safety. Includes a literature review on pedestrian safety, data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and state/tribal departments of transportation (DOTs), crash analysis, interview feedback from tribal employees, suggestions for countermeasures, and more.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Treasury
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What Cancers Explain the Growing Rural-Urban Gap in Human Papillomavirus-Associated Cancer Incidence?
Presents a study comparing rates of Human-Papillomavirus (HPV) related cancers in rural and urban populations. Breaks down data by sex and rurality and tracks rates in 5 year increments from 2000 to 2019.
Author(s): Jason Semprini, Whitney Zahnd, Heather M. Brandt
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12915
Date: 01/2025
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Epidemiological Model Can Forecast COVID-19 Outbreaks from Wastewater-Based Surveillance in Rural Communities
Examines the ability of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to identify potential outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in rural communities. Analyzes wastewater in 6 communities and observes WBE's predictive accuracy to forecast SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks.
Author(s): Tyler Meadows, Erik R. Coats, Solana Narum, et al.
Citation: Water Research, 268
Date: 01/2025
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2025-2030 Maryland Rural Health Strategic Plan
Recommends priorities for organizations and programs to consider as they provide health services across rural Maryland. Features a county-level map showing distribution of rural regions in Maryland and includes statistics on Maryland's rural population, with breakdowns by region and rural designation.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Department of Health
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Planning the Path Forward: An Actionable Guide to Tribal Community Health Improvement Planning
Toolkit providing guidance on creating Tribal community health improvement plans (CHIPs) by identifying health priorities and planning and implementing effective and culturally relevant solutions. Provides tools, templates, and other resources for each step of the CHIP process. Includes a case study focused on COVID-19 vaccine uptake.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organizations: Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc., Tribal Epidemiology Centers
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Improving Pedestrian Safety at Night
Provides a synthesis of findings from the "Strategies to Improve Pedestrian Safety at Night" project, including a literature review, practitioner survey, fatality analysis, and feedback from stakeholders researching pedestrian safety. Discusses considerations related to safe infrastructure in rural communities.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Transportation Research Board
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Alaska Native Injury Atlas, 4th Edition - Part 1: Injury Deaths
Provides data on trends in injury-related deaths among Alaska Native and American Indian people in Alaska, utilizing 2014-2023 Alaska Health Analytics and Vital Records death certificate data. Breaks down data by Tribal Health Region, demographic group, injury mechanism, and injury intent.
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
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Challenges and Strategies to Improve Access to Oral Health Care in Rural America
Provides an overview of barriers to oral health in rural areas, and discusses strategies to increase access to oral health care and improve rural public health outcomes. Covers topics including dental insurance, service delivery models, oral health workforce, the role of oral health professionals in addressing opioid and tobacco use, and water fluoridation.
Author(s): Liang Hong, Shillpa Naavaal, Sohini Dhar, Siddardha Chandrupatla
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD)
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School Active Shooter Drills: Mitigating Risks to Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Health
Examines the impact of school active shooter drills and strategies to improve school safety while mitigating potential student mental health issues. Includes commentary on the impact of active shooter drills on rural schools and differences in community resources, behavioral health staffing, threat assessment teams, and more.
Author(s): Board on Children, Youth, and Families
Date: 2025
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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