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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Quality of Skilled Nursing Facilities Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Policy paper describing a study examining the quality of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) that serve rural beneficiaries, based on ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating system. Features statistics including characteristics of SNFs, overall star ratings, and staff star ratings in 2018 by rural-serving status.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Firearm Storage in US Households With Children
Results of an April 2021 survey examining the number of children living in households with firearms and the conditions under which the firearms are stored. Features statistics on the characteristics and storage practices of firearms owners with children, with breakdowns by urban, rural, or suburban area.
Author(s): Matthew Miller, Deborah Azrael
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(2)
Date: 02/2022
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Children Living in Households That Experienced Food Insecurity: United States, 2019–2020
Presents information on children living in food insecure households based on data from the 2019-2020 National Health Interview Survey. Provides data on food insecurity according to demographic variables, urbanicity, and family structure. Figure 3 shows percentage of children experiencing food insecurity in nonmetropolitan, medium and small metro, large fringe metro, and large central metro.
Author(s): Heidi Ullmann, Julie D. Weeks, Jennifer H. Madans
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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How Actual Practice of Emergency Medical Services Personnel Aligns with the Recommended National Scope of Practice in Rural Versus Urban Areas of the U.S.
Results of a study examining the extent to which EMS professionals perform skills that correspond to their credential levels, and determining whether there are variations in adherence to guidelines between agencies serving rural or urban populations and agencies with unpaid versus paid staffing models. Examines credentials for emergency medical responders, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), advanced EMTs, and paramedics, and uses data from EMS encounters in 2018 from 1,056 EMS agencies nationally. Features statistics on various procedures and predictors of performing a procedure within the scope of practice model, with breakdowns by 4 levels of population density.
Author(s): Davis G. Patterson, Benjamin A. Stubbs, Nikiah G. Nudell
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Rural America Lost Population Over the Past Decade for the First Time in History
Examines rural demographics and discusses population trends based on census data from 2010 to 2020, predating the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides metropolitan and nonmetropolitan comparisons. Includes information on contributing factors to the change in population.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Smoking, Rural Residence and Diabetes as Risk Factors for Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome
Investigates how smoking, geographical location, and diabetes impact presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome (POHS) and associated choroidal neovascularization (CNV) based on data from 751 adult patients during a 7-year period between January 2013 and December 2019. Includes data predictions to indicate whether there are connections between smoking, diabetes, and rural-urban locations for POHS and for POHS with CNV.
Author(s): Brad Richey, Rachel Obrock, Zachary M. Gee, et al.
Citation: Retina, 42(2), 369-374
Date: 02/2022
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QuickStats: Death Rates Attributed to Excessive Cold or Hypothermia, by Urbanization Level and Sex — National Vital Statistics System, 2018–2020
Bar chart showing death rates due to cold or hypothermia for women and for men for metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore (rural) areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(7), 282
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Source Matters: A Survey of Cost Variation for Fecal Immunochemical Tests in Primary Care
Examines contextual factors associated with selection and cost of fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) for colorectal cancer screening, using data from surveys of primary care practices involved with the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network. Features statistics including type of FIT and cost, and characteristics of participating practices, with breakdowns by urban, rural, or frontier location.
Author(s): Jennifer Coury, Katrina Ramsey, Rose Gunn, Jon Judkins, Melinda Davis
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22(204)
Date: 02/2022
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Rural Health Research Recap: Opioid Use Disorder and Treatment: Rural-Urban Comparisons
Summary of research on opioid use disorder (OUD) among youth, young adults, and pregnant women, the impact of OUD on hospitals and emergency departments, and the use of buprenorphine and partial psychiatric hospitalization programs as treatment for OUD. Features statistics including population-adjusted emergency department rates per 100 people from 2005-2016 and opioid-related emergency room visit rates per 100,000 people in 2006 and 2013, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Per Ostmo
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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SNAP Spending Contributed to Rural Economic Output and Jobs Following the Great Recession
Chart comparing rural and urban economic impacts of the USDA's Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) during the period of high unemployment from 2009-2014. Uses USDA Economic Research Service data, USDA Food and Nutrition Service data, and 2014 U.S. base level data from IMPLAN Group, LLC.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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