Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural definitions
Taking Stock: Rural People, Rural Places, Rural Housing
Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Highway Safety Behavioral Strategies for Rural Areas
Provides an overview of the risk factors of rural roads, such as rough terrain, wildlife, and lack of services over long distances. Includes examples of how to define rural roads, a related literature review of behavioral strategies in rural environments; safety toolkits and training; statistics on crashes, fatalities, and injuries; examples of counties that have reduced crashes; and more.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Transportation Research Board
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Provides an overview of the risk factors of rural roads, such as rough terrain, wildlife, and lack of services over long distances. Includes examples of how to define rural roads, a related literature review of behavioral strategies in rural environments; safety toolkits and training; statistics on crashes, fatalities, and injuries; examples of counties that have reduced crashes; and more.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Transportation Research Board
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Urban-Rural Disparities in Childhood Obesogenic Environments in the United States: Application of Differing Rural Definitions
Analyzes rural versus urban differences in food and physical activity (PA) environments that contribute to childhood obesogenic environment index (COEI) scores. Utilizes multiple data sources to examine 6 food environment variables and 4 PA variables by rural-urban continuum codes, among other rural definitions. Discusses differences in COEI scores and implications for public health practices.
Author(s): Marilyn E. Wende, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Christiaan Abildso, Kara Davis, Andrew T. Kaczynski
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(1), 121-135
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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Analyzes rural versus urban differences in food and physical activity (PA) environments that contribute to childhood obesogenic environment index (COEI) scores. Utilizes multiple data sources to examine 6 food environment variables and 4 PA variables by rural-urban continuum codes, among other rural definitions. Discusses differences in COEI scores and implications for public health practices.
Author(s): Marilyn E. Wende, M. Renée Umstattd Meyer, Christiaan Abildso, Kara Davis, Andrew T. Kaczynski
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(1), 121-135
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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Counties by Metro/Micro Area Status: 2021
Map of the United States displaying metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas by county using data from the Office and Management and Budget (OMB). Uses metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas as defined by OMB as of March 2020.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Map of the United States displaying metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas by county using data from the Office and Management and Budget (OMB). Uses metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas as defined by OMB as of March 2020.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Redefining Urban Areas Following the 2020 Census
Provides an overview of changes made to the U.S. Census Bureau urban area criteria following the 2020 Census. Covers the minimum population threshold, housing unit density, and the decision to cease distinguishing between different types of urban areas.
Author(s): Michael Ratcliffe
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Provides an overview of changes made to the U.S. Census Bureau urban area criteria following the 2020 Census. Covers the minimum population threshold, housing unit density, and the decision to cease distinguishing between different types of urban areas.
Author(s): Michael Ratcliffe
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Measuring Rurality in Health Services Research: A Scoping Review
Analyzes peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2020 to provide a scoping review of the different methods of rurality defined and used in health services research. Examines 103 full-text studies across various journals to observe different measures of rurality. Includes discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of the respective measures of rurality and how inconsistent use of measures impacts federal funding and the study of rural health disparities.
Author(s): Robin Danek, Justin Blackburn, Marion Greene, Olena Mazurenko, Nir Menachemi
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 1340
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Analyzes peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2020 to provide a scoping review of the different methods of rurality defined and used in health services research. Examines 103 full-text studies across various journals to observe different measures of rurality. Includes discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of the respective measures of rurality and how inconsistent use of measures impacts federal funding and the study of rural health disparities.
Author(s): Robin Danek, Justin Blackburn, Marion Greene, Olena Mazurenko, Nir Menachemi
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 1340
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Defining Census Bureau Urban Areas
Provides an overview of how the Census Bureau defines urban and rural areas. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Provides an overview of how the Census Bureau defines urban and rural areas. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Defining Rural America: The Consequences of How We Count
Discusses several federal definitions of rural and the implications of using different definitions. Compares how U.S. Census Bureau and Office Management and Budget (OMB) characterize rural America. Offers principles on how to choose which definition to use to describe rural areas.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Discusses several federal definitions of rural and the implications of using different definitions. Compares how U.S. Census Bureau and Office Management and Budget (OMB) characterize rural America. Offers principles on how to choose which definition to use to describe rural areas.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Defining Rural: Making Choices Among Different Definitions of Rural
Webinar outlining the various definitions of rural with a focus on Texas. Includes a demonstration of the Rural Health Information Hub's "Am I Rural?" tool. Transcript for video available by clicking three dots under the video.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
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Webinar outlining the various definitions of rural with a focus on Texas. Includes a demonstration of the Rural Health Information Hub's "Am I Rural?" tool. Transcript for video available by clicking three dots under the video.
Date: 06/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: University of Texas at Arlington Center for Rural Health and Nursing
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Definition and Categorization of Rural and Assessment of Realized Access to Care
Examines Health Information National Trends Survey data to determine how 3 different definitions of rural change healthcare utilization, perceived quality, and perceived provider attentiveness metrics. Considers Urban Influence Codes (UIC), Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC), and Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA).
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Natalie Del Vecchio, Natoshia Askelson, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(3), 693-702
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
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Examines Health Information National Trends Survey data to determine how 3 different definitions of rural change healthcare utilization, perceived quality, and perceived provider attentiveness metrics. Considers Urban Influence Codes (UIC), Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC), and Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA).
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Natalie Del Vecchio, Natoshia Askelson, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(3), 693-702
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
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