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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

The Breast-Imaging Operations, Practices and Systems Inventory: A Framework to Examine Mammography Facility Effects on Screening in Rural Communities
Examines how mammogram facility resources, policies, and practices in metro versus nonmetro Appalachia are related to breast cancer burden and outcomes. Analyzes survey data from 192 sites to observe catchment area mammography services such as levels of staffing and available technology, practices and policies that promote screening, and quality review processes.
Author(s): Roger T. Anderson, Marianne M. Hillemeier, Fabian T. Camacho, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 282-291
Date: 2024
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Gestational Weight Gain Among Urban and Rural Pregnant Individuals Who Smoke or Quit Smoking
Examines the relationship between smoking cessation and gestational weight gain (GWG). Utilizes 2009-2020 Virginia Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data to analyze GWG and smoking in rural versus urban pregnant women.
Author(s): Kinsey Pebley, Asal Pilehvari, Rebecca A Krukowski, Melissa A Little
Citation: American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 66(5), 888-893
Date: 12/2023
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2023 Graduate Medical Education Exit Survey Report: Indiana University School of Medicine
Results of a survey of 447 individuals completing graduate medical education programs at the Indiana University School of Medicine in 2023. Data include demographic characteristics, reactions to residency training, and plans after graduation, including where the physicians intended to practice and why they chose that location. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Komal Kochhar, Monling Ho
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Indiana University School of Medicine
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Tennessee Health Equity Plan, 2023-2028
Outlines strategies, timelines, and the steps to be taken to ensure equitable health services, meaningful partnerships, engaged communities, and a diverse, skilled workforce in Tennessee. Includes statistics on obesity with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and maternal care and food deserts.
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Washington Long-Term Care Workforce Initiative Legislative Report
Provides an overview of long-term care (LTC) for older adults in Washington and the available LTC workforce. Focuses on workforce demand, initiatives and projects to improve the LTC workforce, and policy recommendations. Provides LTC data for rural Washington, including average facility patient count, staffing hours, number of nursing homes per rural county, and more.
Author(s): Donald J. Smith Jr., Christopher W. Dula, Claire M. Fite, et al.
Date: 12/2023
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Rural and Nonrural Racial Variation in Mentally Unhealthy Days: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in North Carolina, 2015–2019
Compares rates at which rural and nonrural Black and White North Carolinians experience days with stress, depression, and problems with emotions, utilizing 2015-2019 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. Discusses social factors which may influence racial mental health disparities in rural areas.
Author(s): Caroline R. Efird, Derrick D. Matthews, Kathryn E. Muessig, et al.
Citation: SSM - Mental Health, 3, 100199
Date: 12/2023
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Pediatric Vaccination Rates in Rural America
Policy position paper regarding declining vaccination rates of children in rural communities. Compares rural and urban childhood vaccination rates and the potential for increasing health disparities. Describes a "5As of vaccine access" policy framework to evaluate current and future immunization policies and proposals. Offers recommended actions for federal, state, and local governments and organizations to improve rural vaccine uptake.
Author(s): Cynthia Calixte, Nitika Moibi, Andrea Stephenson Royster
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Improving the Maternity Care Safety Net: Establishing Maternal Mortality Surveillance for Non-Obstetric Providers and Institutions
Examines a quality improvement plan implemented by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) that utilizes system-level surveillance to monitor non-obstetric care for pregnant veterans. Examines maternal mortality of veterans using VA maternity care benefits, with 2011-2020 data broken down by age, race/ethnicity, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Joan L. Combellick, Bridget Basile Ibrahim, Aryan Esmaeili, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(1), 37
Date: 12/2023
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Research Note Showing That the Rural Mortality Penalty Varies by Region, Race, and Ethnicity in the United States, 1999–2016
Evaluates rural mortality penalties by region, race, and ethnicity using 1999-2016 CDC WONDER data. Identifies regional variations in metro versus nonmetro mortality disparities experienced by Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, White, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations.
Author(s): Danielle Rhubart, Alexis Santos
Citation: Demography, 60(6), 1699-1709
Date: 12/2023
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Rural Disparities in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Health among Utah Prostate Cancer Survivors
Poster analyzing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease diagnosis among rural and urban prostate cancer survivors in Utah, utilizing Utah SEER Cancer Registry and Utah Population Database data for diagnoses between 1997 and 2015. Identifies rural-urban disparities in disease incidence rates, demographic characteristics, and first-course treatment methods.
Author(s): Shaelee Nielsen, Brock O'Neil, Bayarmaa Mark, Mia Hashibe
Date: 12/2023
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