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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Rural Children's Health and Health Care
Examines differences in child health conditions by rural and urban residency. Explores differences in use of preventative dental and medical services by poverty rate, adverse childhood experiences, overweight and obesity, food insecurity, and physical activity.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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America at a Glance: An Update on Rural-Urban Differences in Disability Rates
Examines data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2015-2019 estimate to describe disability rates in rural communities. Presents data on metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore disability rates by type, age, and race/ethnicity. Describes how these rates have changed since the ACS 2010-2014 estimate.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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County-Level Variation in Cirrhosis-Related Mortality in the US, 1999-2019
Reviews cirrhosis mortality rates in the U.S. based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention WONDER database for 1999-2019. Analyzes data according to sex, race and ethnicity, and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan categories. Includes discussions of health disparities as related to metro categories.
Author(s): Audrey Y. Ha, Michael H. Le, Linda Henry, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(2)
Date: 02/2022
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Mental Health Surveillance Among Children — United States, 2013–2019
Examines mental disorders and indicators of poor mental health among children, mental health services for children, and positive indicators of mental health, based on data from nine federal surveillance systems. Includes rural data on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; behavioral or conduct problems; depression; anxiety; autism spectrum disorder; Tourette syndrome; substance use disorder, alcohol use disorder, and/or illicit drug use disorder; suicidal ideation and suicide attempts; receipt of mental health treatment, services, and medication; and positive indicators of mental health.
Author(s): Rebecca H. Bitsko, Angelika H. Claussen, Jesse Lichstein, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) Supplements, 71(2), 1-42
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Quality of Home Health Agencies Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Describes a study examining the quality of home health agencies (HHAs) that serve rural beneficiaries, based on ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating system. Features statistics including characteristics of HHAs, patient care ratings, and patient experience ratings in 2018 by rural-serving status.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Changes in Suicide Rates — United States, 2019 and 2020
Reports counts and age-adjusted suicide rates during 2019 and 2020 for different populations. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas overall and by sex.
Author(s): Daniel C. Ehlman, Ellen Yard, Deborah M. Stone, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(8), 306-312
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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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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