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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Geographic Differences in the Magnitude of Black-White Disparities in Having Obesity
Compares the magnitude of Black-White obesity disparities in rural and urban areas with U.S. regional comparisons, utilizing data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Assesses rural-urban status by county-level Index of Relative Rurality quintile.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Monique J. Brown, Furong Xu, Caitlin C. Nash, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Obesity Science & Practice, 9(5), 516-528
Date: 10/2023
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Pennsylvania Oral Health Basic Screening Survey: 2021-2022 Oral Health Basic Screening Survey of Third-Graders
Provides a comprehensive overview of the oral health status of third-grade Pennsylvania children. Features statistics including treated and untreated decay, dental sealants, and urgent need for care, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Burden of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Related Behavioral Stressors of Students in Pennsylvania Schools
Results of a study investigating the stress effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural and urban Pennsylvania students' mental health. Uses primary and secondary data to compute a mental health stress index of youth mental stress levels and to examine the impact of the pandemic on youth behaviors.
Author(s): S.N. Gajanan
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Closing the Broadband Infrastructure Gap: State Grant Funds and the Digital Divide
Analyzes Pew Trusts data on awarded broadband grants in 17 states between 2014 and 2020 to determine common characteristics of funded projects, criteria for allocation, and communities reached. Includes discussion of implications for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funds and the impact on existing disparities. Offers rural and urban comparisons.
Additional links: Q&A with Pew Trusts, Summary
Author(s): Natassia A. Bravo, Mildred E. Warner
Date: 10/2023
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Severe Housing Problems in Kentucky
Reports on severe housing problems in Kentucky using 2019 American Community Survey data. Compares rates of severe housing problems by property type and problems experienced, with breakdowns for urban, rural, and very rural areas. Also discusses the health impacts of inadequate housing and identifies areas for improvement.
Author(s): Joe Kercsmar
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Blueprint Kentucky
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Applying a Health Equity Lens to Work-Related Motor Vehicle Safety in the United States
Summarizes the literature on risk disparities for work-related motor vehicles crashes by sociodemographic and employment characteristics. Identifies potential causes of disparities at individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy levels. Includes statistics on people who live and work in rural areas and are likely to depend on a motor vehicle to commute to and from work and between work locations.
Author(s): Stephanie Pratt, Kyla Hagan-Haynes
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(20), 6909
Date: 10/2023
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Use of Telemedicine and Quality of Care Among Medicare Enrollees With Serious Mental Illness
Examines telemedicine use during the COVID-19 pandemic among Medicare beneficiaries with mental illness. Analyzes levels of telemental use by mental health practices who saw patients with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder the year before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the first pandemic year. Discusses patient outcomes and quality of care as correlated with telemental use, with data broken down according to practice characteristics and patient demographics, including rurality.
Author(s): Andrew D. Wilcock, Haiden A. Huskamp, Alisa B. Busch, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 4(10)
Date: 10/2023
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Up-to-Date Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Test Use in the United States, 2021
Examines national breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening test use compared against targets developed by Healthy People 2030. Analyzes 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data to observe percentage of adults who are up-to-date with screenings according to demographic variables, including county urbanization levels broken down by large central metro, large fringe metro, medium/small metro, and nonmetropolitan.
Author(s): Susan A. Sabatino, Trevor D. Thompson, Mary C. White, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 10/2023
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Do SNAP Eligibility and Benefit Determinations Sufficiently Reflect Expenses of Older Households?
Report investigating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility guidelines to determine whether they are in line with the spending patterns of low-income households with adults over 50. Offers policy recommendations based on findings. Table 1 of the appendix compares the rural and urban share of total expenditures for these households.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Joshua Leftin, Nicardo McInnis, Andrew Wen
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Rural Health: Addressing Barriers to Care
An infographic that presents data on rural versus urban health disparities and barriers to healthcare in rural America. Includes interactive data on percentage of rural residents by state, rural life expectancy and chronic health conditions, hospital closures and lack of access to healthcare, rural workforce shortages, and more. Provides strategies to improve rural access to healthcare.
Author(s): Carrie Cochran-McClain
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute for Health Care Management, National Rural Health Association
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