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: Rural definitions

Federally Designated Rural Areas in Maryland
Shows the locations of federally designated rural areas in Maryland.
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maryland Department of Health
view details
Rural Residence and Cancer Outcomes in the US: Issues and Challenges
Analyzes the current literature regarding outcomes of cancer patients who live in rural locations. Discusses several methods of defining rural.
Author(s): Ashley Meilleur, S.V. Subramanian, Jesse J. Plascak, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 22(10), 1657-1667
Date: 10/2013
view details
What Is Rural in the WWAMI States? Why Definitions Matter
Discusses the multiple definitions of rural. Describes the impacts of using differing definitions in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho.
Author(s): Susan M. Skillman, Davis G. Patterson, Denise M. Lishner, Mark P. Doescher, Meredith A. Fordyce
Date: 07/2013
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
view details
The Utility of Rural and Underserved Designations in Geospatial Assessments of Distance Traveled to Healthcare Services: Implications for Public Health Research and Practice
Reviews different definitions and designations of rurality in relation to resident characteristics in a sample of 8 central Texas counties. Discusses the impact that rural definitions can have on research findings and health policy.
Author(s): Matthew Lee Smith, Justin B. Dickerson, Monica L. Wendel, et al.
Citation: Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2013, 960157
Date: 06/2013
view details
Report on the Definition of "Rural"
Discusses the various definitions of the term "rural" and "rural area" that are used to describe programs administered by the Secretary of Agriculture. Describes the effects of various definitions on USDA Rural Development programs. Recommends ways to better target funds provided through rural development programs.
Date: 02/2013
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
view details
Frontier/Remote, Island, and Rural Literature Review
Highlights the evolution of the term frontier as it applies to remote, sparsely settled territory in the U.S. Discusses related definitions of rural relevant to creating a national frontier/remote and island geographic taxonomy.
Author(s): L. Gary Hart
Date: 08/2012
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
view details
Town-level Comparisons May be an Effective Alternative in Comparing Rural and Urban Differences: A Look at Accidental Traumatic Brain Injuries in North Texas Children
Summarizes the results of examined data on North Texas pediatric traumatic brain injury among four levels of rurality: urban city, large town, small town, and isolated town.
Author(s): Brian Robertson, Charles McConnell
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 11(1), 1521
Date: 01/2011
view details
Why Definitions Matter: Rural Definitions and State Poverty Rankings
Illustrates the importance of understanding the various definitions of rural and examines the differences in state poverty rates when the two definitions of rural are employed.
Author(s): Kathleen Miller
Date: 03/2010
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
view details
Choosing Rural Definitions: Implications for Health Policy
Provides an overview of rural definitions and their policy implications. Discusses the factors that should be considered in selecting among rural definitions.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, et al.
Date: 03/2007
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Defining the Term "Frontier Area" for Programs Implemented through the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
An expert panel report to the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Provides an overview of current frontier definitions and describes the process used to develop a new frontier area definition that could be applied to telehealth programs.
Date: 05/2006
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
view details