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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Engaging Rural Communities in Cancer Prevention and Control Research: Development and Preliminary Insights from a Community-Based Research Registry
Discusses the establishment of the Virginia Living Well (VALW) registry in 2018 and the methodology involved to include rural and underrepresented populations in cancer research through community outreach. Includes county-level maps of cancer data in Virginia as well as demographic data on VALW participants broken down by employment, income, insurance status, cancer screening frequency, race, rural versus urban, and more.
Author(s): Maria D. Thomson, April R. Williams, Arnethea L. Sutton, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 10(21), 7726-7734
Date: 10/2021
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Family-Focused Obesity Prevention Program Implementation in Urban Versus Rural Communities: A Case Study
Compares a rural childhood obesity prevention and reduction program with a similar urban program in Minnesota. Identifies logistical challenges encountered when adapting the urban program to a rural setting and discusses strategies to successfully translate obesity programs from urban to rural settings.
Author(s): Colleen Flattum, Sarah Friend, Melissa Horning, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 21, 1915
Date: 10/2021
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County Data Highlight Links between Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome and Placement of Infants in Foster Care
Explores the relationship between neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and the rate of children entering the foster care system. Summarizes county-level data from 8 states and highlights community level factors such as maternal education, healthcare, and rurality, among others.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Differences in Breast and Colorectal Cancer Screening Adherence Among Women Residing in Urban and Rural Communities in the United States
Results of a study of 2,897 women from 11 states to compare the prevalence of breast and colorectal cancer screening adherence and to identify factors associated with screening adherence among women living in rural and urban areas. Features demographics and statistics on cancer screening adherence with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Sanjay Shete, Yangyang Deng, Jackilen Shannon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(10)
Date: 10/2021
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Household Experiences in Rural America During the Delta Variant Outbreak
Examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural U.S. households. Covers financial, education, childcare, health and healthcare, and employment and work-related impacts related to the pandemic.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Public Radio, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Changes in the Associations of Race and Rurality with SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Mortality, and Case Fatality in the United States from February 2020 to March 2021: A Population-based Cohort Study
Examines the associations of ethnicity, urban or rural residence, and clinical risk factors on COVID-19 infection and mortality among U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system enrollees between February 2020 and March 2021. Describes how these associations changed during this period.
Author(s): George N. Ioannou, Jacqueline M. Ferguson, Ann M. O'Hare, et al.
Citation: PLoS Medicine, 18(10)
Date: 10/2021
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The Use of Community Health Workers in Community Health Centers
Examines changes in the community health workers (CHWs) workforce among community health centers (CHCs) from 2016-2018 and factors associated with the use of CHWs. Features statistics on characteristics of CHCs in the study and factors associated with use of CHWs in CHCs, with breakdowns by rural location.
Author(s): Jeongyoung Park, Marsha Regenstein, Nicholas Chong, Chinelo L. Onyilofor
Citation: Medical Care, 59(10), S457-S462
Date: 10/2021
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The Effect of National Health Service Corps Clinician Staffing on Medical and Behavioral Health Care Costs in Community Health Centers
Examines the contribution of National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and non-NHSC clinicians to medical and behavioral health costs per visit, using 2013-2017 data from 1,022 Federally Qualified Health Centers merged with the NHSC participant data. Features statistics on average costs per visit for medical or behavioral healthcare, with breakdowns including rural facility location.
Author(s): Xinxin Han, Patricia Pittman, Leighton Ku
Citation: Medical Care, 59(10), S428-S433
Date: 10/2021
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Unpacking the Geography of America's Youth Suicide Epidemic
Analyzes data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database from 2000 through 2019 looking at suicide rates in 10 to 24-year-olds by 15 community types such as aging farmlands, Native American lands, rural middle America, and more. Includes discussion highlighting suicide rates among Native American populations and differences between rural and urban residents.
Author(s): Dante Chinni
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: American Communities Project
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Rural–Urban Health Disparities among US Adults Ages 50 and Older
Report examining health disparities for Americans ages 50 and older by rural/urban location and by race/ethnicity. Analyzes rates of healthcare access, health behaviors, and chronic health conditions based on 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data.
Author(s): Beth Carter, Olivia Dean
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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