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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

The Opioid Epidemic: A Geography in Two Phases
Examines population and geographic data on 2 phases of the U.S. opioid epidemic. Examines the association between overdose deaths and chronic pain, physical disability rates, and economic hardship. Discusses the shift from overdose mortality associated with prescription opioids to illicit and synthetic opioids in the early 2010s, including in rural areas and the Northeastern U.S.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): David A. McGranahan, Timothy S. Parker
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Use of Selected Recommended Clinical Preventive Services — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2018
Examines use of 10 recommended clinical preventive services: colon cancer screening, cervical cancer screening, breast cancer screening, HIV testing, pneumococcal vaccination, influenza vaccination, diabetes screening, HPV vaccination, zoster (shingles) vaccination, and tetanus vaccination. Includes data for urban and rural counties, as well as the urban to rural prevalence ratio.
Author(s): Suhang Song, Allison White, James E. Kucik
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(13), 461-466
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Addressing Opioid-Related Outcomes Among Individuals With Co-Occurring Behavioral Health Conditions: An Environmental Scan of Quality Measures
Presents the results of an environmental scan of healthcare quality measures relevant to addressing polysubstance use among individuals with co-occurring behavioral health conditions. Includes information on access to buprenorphine providers in rural communities.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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A Cross-sectional Analysis of Trust of Information and COVID-19 Preventative Practices among People with Disabilities
Analyzes the level of trust in information sources about COVID-19 and associated compliance to COVID-19 public health recommendations among people with disabilities. Examines data by respondents' demographics, including age, geography, and type of disability, in addition to the type of information source.
Author(s): Catherine Ipsen, Andrew Myers, Rayna Sage
Citation: Disability and Health Journal, 14(2), 101062
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Earnings Gap by Educational Attainment, 2019
Chart showing the gap in median earnings between rural and urban adults age 25 and older with different levels of education. Uses data from the 2019 American Community Survey.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Educational Attainment in Rural and Urban Areas, 2000 and 2019
Chart showing educational attainment in rural and urban areas for adults age 25 and older, using data from the Census 2000 and 2019 American Community Survey.
Date: 04/2021
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Virtual Care Expansion in the Veterans Health Administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinical Services and Patient Characteristics Associated with Utilization
Presents results of a study of virtual care use in the Veterans Health Administration during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports statistics for previous and current virtual care use, method of care delivery, and type of care. Compares demographic groups, including urban, rural, and highly rural veterans, and identifies factors associated with virtual care use.
Author(s): Jacqueline M Ferguson, Josephine Jacobs, Maria Yefimova, et al
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 28(3), 453-462
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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Expanding Access to Methadone Treatment in Ohio Through Federally Qualified Health Centers and a Chain Pharmacy: A Geospatial Modeling Analysis
Examines the provision of methadone at opioid treatment programs (OTP) in Ohio. Compares how well existing OTPs meet the need for opioid use disorder treatment by urban-rural classification. Explores how expanding methadone administration to Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) could expand access to OUD treatment in urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Suzan Iloglu, Paul J. Joudrey, Emily A. Wong, Thomas A. Thornhill, Gregg Gonsalves
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 220, 108534
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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2021 Idaho Primary Care Needs Assessment
Identifies Idaho communities with the greatest unmet healthcare needs, disparities, and healthcare workforce shortages, and discusses key barriers to accessing preventive and primary care services. Includes sections on Health Professional Shortage Areas, Medically Underserved Areas and Populations, the Idaho State Loan Repayment Program, the Rural Physician Incentive Program, primary care educational opportunities, and advanced medical training programs in Idaho. Features maps showing urban, rural, and frontier areas, locations of Rural Health Clinics, and locations of Critical Access Hospitals.
Author(s): Alex Prado
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Idaho Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Measuring Neighborhood Deprivation for Childhood Health and Development: Scale Implications in Rural and Urban Context
Examines administrative neighborhood definitions such as census tract, block group, and school district as well as egocentric GIS neighborhood definitions in relationship to socioeconomic deprivation and their impact on childhood health and development. Utilizes the Family Life Project sample of families in North Carolina and Pennsylvania to evaluate neighborhood deprivation along the urban-rural continuum.
Author(s): Alexandra Ursache, Seann Regan, Allison De Marco, Dustin T. Duncan
Citation: Geospatial Health, 16(1)
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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