Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Utilization of Z Codes for Social Determinants of Health among a Sample of Medicare Advantage Enrollees, 2017 and 2019
Examines the use of Z codes for social determinants of health in a sample of Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees from 2016 through 2019. Identifies the five most-used Z codes among MA enrollees, including the percent of enrollees and claims with these Z codes in 2017 and 2019. Presents data on the proportion of MA enrollees with Z code claims in 2017 and 2019 across demographic characteristics, including rurality, place of service, and provider type.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
view details
Disparity of Ovarian Cancer Survival Between Urban and Rural Settings
Explores disparities in survival rates of 111,627 epithelial ovarian cancer patients in rural, urban, and metropolitan areas of the United States, based on data from the 2004-2016 National Cancer Database (NCDB). Includes demographic information of patients such as age, race, distance to nearest hospital, and more, as well as tables showing survival rates based on geographic locations.
Author(s): Keely Krolikowski Ulmer, Breanna Greteman, Nicholas Cardillo, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 32(4), 540-546
Date: 04/2022
view details
Oversight: The Opioid Crisis in Tribal Communities
Recording of a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing focused on the opioid crisis in tribal communities. Includes testimonies from representatives of the Cherokee Nation, the National Council of Urban Indian Health, the Border Patrol Council, and the Riverside-San Bernardino Indian Health.
Additional links: Art Del Cueto Testimony, Chuck Hoskin, Jr. Testimony, Maureen Rosette Testimony, Wayne Cortez Testimony, YouTube Recording
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House of Representatives
view details
QuickStats: Rate of Deaths Attributed to Unintentional Injury from Fire or Flames, by Sex and Urban-Rural Status — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2020
Bar chart showing the rate of deaths due to unintentional injury from fire or flames by sex for rural and urban areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(14), 529
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Changes in Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Deaths in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April-December 2020), 29 States
Presents data from 29 states on the number of all-cause hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths between April–December 2020 and compares this data to statistics from the same period in 2016-2019. Presents data by patient characteristics, including urban-rural status. Includes data on the percent of hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 in 2020.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid, Zhengyi Fang
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Changes in Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Deaths for Adults Aged 65 Years and Older in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April-December 2020), 29 States
Presents data from 29 states on the number of all-cause hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths among adults aged 65 years old and over between April–December 2020 and compares this data to statistics from the same period in 2016-2019. Presents data by patient characteristics, including urban-rural status. Includes data on the percent of hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 in 2020.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid, Pamela L. Owens
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Changes in Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Deaths for Adults Aged 18–64 Years in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April-December 2020), 29 States
Presents data from 29 states on the number of all-cause hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths among adults aged 18-64 years old between April–December 2020 and compares this data to statistics from the same period in 2016-2019. Presents data by patient characteristics, including urban-rural status. Includes data on the percent of hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 in 2020.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid, Zhengyi Fang
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Changes in Pediatric Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Deaths in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April-December 2020), 29 States
Presents data from 29 states on the number of pediatric all-cause hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths between April–December 2020 and compares this data to statistics from the same period in 2016-2019. Presents data by patient characteristics, including urban-rural status. Includes data on the percent of pediatric hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 in 2020.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid, Zhengyi Fang
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Associations Between Obesity, Physical Inactivity, Healthcare Capacity, and the Built Environment: Geographic Information System Analysis
Explores the impacts healthcare capacity and the built environment have on obesity and physical inactivity. Identifies variations in rural versus urban areas relating to access to healthcare facilities and opportunities to exercise, based on demographic data obtained from a variety of secondary sources and then mapped to geographic locations with GIS. Includes county-level maps representing the study findings in South Carolina.
Author(s): Duaa Aljabri
Citation: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 15, 689-704
Date: 04/2022
view details
Arizona Frontier Special Area (SArea) 2021 Statistical Profile
Identifies the frontier areas in Arizona and provides data on the demographics, natality and infant mortality, and healthcare utilization of populations in those areas compared to rural and urban areas in Arizona. Includes data on health workforce to population ratios and healthcare facilities and services.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Bureau of Health Systems Development
view details