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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Poverty Rates by Race/Ethnicity and Metro/Nonmetro Residence, 2019
Bar chart comparing metropolitan and nonmetro poverty levels for White, African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic populations.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Poverty Rates by Age Group and Metro/Nonmetro Residence, 2019
Bar chart showing metropolitan and nonmetro poverty rates for all ages, for children under 5, children under 18, adults aged 18-64, and seniors over 65.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Access to Mechanical Thrombectomy for Ischemic Stroke in the United States
Examines access to mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke, utilizing 2016-2018 emergency department and acute care hospital data for facilities in 11 states. Provides data on rural and urban differences in likelihood of presenting at thrombectomy gap, gateway, and hub facilities after ischemic stroke.
Author(s): Hooman Kamel, Neal S. Parikh, Abhinaba Chatterjee, et al.
Citation: Stroke, 52(8), 2554-2561
Date: 05/2021
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Texas Women and Women's Health Providers: Metro v. Non-Metro
Report on the number of women's health providers in rural and urban areas of Texas. Includes a county-level breakdown of the ratio of providers per 100,000 people as well as counties with no providers. Also includes a comparison of the number of types of providers and average ages between rural and urban areas.
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Use of the Spatial Access Ratio to Measure Geospatial Access to Emergency General Surgery Services in California
Evaluates the ability of Spatial Access Ratio (SPAR) to identify disparities in emergency general surgery (EGS) access in California. Compares the locations of 238 EGS-capable hospitals to the location of California residents with focus on the socio-demographic characteristics of population size, poverty rate, health insurance coverage, and rural or urban status. Table 2 shows access to EGS hospitals by rurality, among other data. Discusses the use of SPAR to allocate resources differently.
Author(s): Marta McCrum, Neng Wan, Steven Lizotte, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 90(5), 853-860
Date: 05/2021
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Spatial and Temporal Inequalities in Mortality in the USA, 1968-2016
Examines excess mortality at the county level using Poisson regression models adjusted for poverty, education, population change, deindustrialization, and other demographic factors, including rural-urban comparisons. Offers spatial maps and population-weighted cartograms.
Author(s): Welcome Wami, David Walsh, Benjamin D. Hennig, et al.
Citation: Health Place, 70, 102586
Date: 05/2021
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The Influence of Rurality on Fruit and Vegetable Intake and BMI: Findings in Mississippi Are Not Consistent with Those at the National Level
Utilizes data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to look at fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and BMI in a nationwide sample of over 450,000 people and compares those results with participants within Mississippi. Examines FV intake across four geographic categories: in the center city of metropolitan statistical area (MSA), outside center city of MSA but within its county, inside suburban county of MSA, and not in MSA. Includes graphs of FV intake related to geographic category and discussion of FV intake within rural areas specifically.
Author(s): Danielle Fastring, Danielle Nadorff, Hilary DeShong
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 5021
Date: 05/2021
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Marketplace Premiums and Participation in 2021
Report examining changes in marketplace insurance premiums and insurer participation at the state and rating region level from 2020-2021. Offers data on state average benchmark premium and percent changes over time between 2017-2020. Appendix B offers tables for select states with select urban and rural regional data.
Author(s): John Holahan, Jessica Banthin, Erik Wengle
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Outreach to New Mothers Through Direct Mail and Email: Recruitment in the Early Check Research Study
Results of a study to evaluate outreach approaches implemented during phase I of a recruitment strategy for Early Check, a statewide newborn screening research study geared toward mothers from North Carolina or South Carolina who gave birth in North Carolina from September 2018 through March 2019. Features statistics with breakdowns including urban or rural residence.
Author(s): Ryan S. Paquin, Megan A. Lewis, Blake A. Harper, et al.
Citation: Clinical and Translational Science, 14(3), 880-889
Date: 05/2021
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A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Physical Activity During COVID-19 in a Sample of Rural and Non-Rural Participants in the US
Examines the impacts of COVID-19 on physical activity in 25 states, comparing rural and urban responses from 278 survey participants. Discusses disparities in obesity and physical activity rates, and describes barriers to physical activity.
Author(s): Alan M. Beck, Amanda S. Gilbert, Dixie D. Duncan, Eric M. Wiedenman
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4991
Date: 05/2021
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