This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Public health

Creating and Implementing a Community Engagement Strategy for the 2022–2027 Illinois Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan Through an Academic–State Public Health Department Partnership
Provides an overview of the comprehensive cancer control (CCC) plan for the state of Illinois which focuses on cancer prevention and health equity strategies. Discusses the process of creating a CCC plan by engaging community members through town halls and focus groups as well as ensuring representation from diverse citizens, including cancer survivors and caregivers, underrepresented groups, and rural residents.
Author(s): Leslie R. Carnahan, Colleen Hallock, Brenda Soto, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 08/2023
view details
QuickStats: Death Rates for Pedestrians Involved in Collision with Motor Vehicles, by Sex and Urbanization Level — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2021
Bar chart showing death rates for male and female pedestrians involved in a collision with a motor vehicle in metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(32), 878
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Forming Partnerships to Increase Rural Immunization Rates
Discusses barriers to vaccine uptake in rural communities. Describes how two community organizations worked to increase vaccinations in rural Alabama and how a network led by the National Center for Farmworker Health built the capacity to distribute COVID-19 vaccines and build vaccine confidence among migrant farmworkers. Identifies state considerations for implementing community-based programs to increase vaccinations in rural areas.
Author(s): Shalini Nair, Heather Tomlinson
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
view details
Strategies to Improve Communication and Messaging in Rural Populations: Guidance for Supporting Vaccination
Discusses strategies and resources to promote effective communication about the COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines in rural, tribal, and frontier communities. Details topics including effective communication, cultural diversity, cooperation and partnerships, rural barriers to access, and more.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: CDC Foundation
view details
North Dakota Statewide Traffic Safety Survey, 2023: Traffic Safety Performance Measures for State and Federal Agencies
Provides information on traffic safety issues among varied demographic groups in North Dakota and their beliefs, practices, and distractions related to driving. Includes rural versus urban comparisons about driving safety, driving under the influence, and more.
Author(s): Kimberly Vachal, Andrew Kubas, Jaclyn Andersen
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
view details
The County Role of Public Health
Provides an overview on how county-level public health agencies are involved in preparedness and response as well as addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) in their local communities. Covers the core functions of public health departments, their role in local and rural areas, and policy efforts to support local public health authorities.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
view details
Community Forums as Amplifiers of Communities' Voices: Isolated Communities in Puerto Rico
Highlights a study on health-related issues in isolated communities in Puerto Rico. Utilizes a community forum to identify health-related issues, such as primary care and mental health access, social determinants of health, emergency preparedness, and COVID-19 vaccinations, among other measures.
Author(s): Yashira M. Sánchez Colón, Edna Acosta Pérez, Mayra L. Roubert Rivera, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(14), 6335
Date: 07/2023
view details
Perceived Barriers and Benefits of COVID-19 Testing among Pacific Islanders on Guam
Results of a project aiming to promote COVID-19 testing among Pacific Islanders using culturally relevant community-tailored strategies with culturally and linguistically appropriate educational materials, and to identify the factors associated with COVID-19 testing. Uses data collected from June 2021 to July 2022.
Author(s): Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, Angelina G. Mummert, Dareon C. Rios, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13), 6302
Date: 07/2023
view details
We Are All in This Together: Rurality, Social Cohesion, and COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors
Examines how social cohesion, rurality, and individual behaviors to prevent COVID-19 are related. Analyzes 2,926 participant survey responses in 2021 according to COVID-19 experiences and attitudes, social distancing behaviors, and tendencies to remain home while sick, with data broken down by demographic variables such as rural versus urban, age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and marriage status. Discusses the importance of understanding rural culture and behaviors when communicating public health strategies.
Author(s): Radhika Sood, Juliette Entenman, Erin Kitt-Lewis, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 40(1), 154-161
Date: 07/2023
view details
North Carolina Community Health Worker Program - 2023 Profile
Fact sheet with information about the Community Health Worker (CHW) program, including responsibilities and core competencies, and ways in which CHWs in North Carolina responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes a county-level map showing CHW organization supporting counties, with shadings indicating rural or urban counties.
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Office of Rural Health
view details