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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

2021 Rural Border Health Chartbook
Presents statistics on health indicators and social determinants of health in the U.S.-Mexico Border region, offering rural/urban comparisons, comparing self-reported Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic ethnicity, and examining proximity to the border. Covers access to care, use of preventive health services, health-related behaviors, COVID-19, mortality, and American Indian health.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Rachel Davis, Jan M. Eberth, et al.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
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Healthy People 2020 Progress by Population Group
Provides charts and data tables that represent the final status of progress toward Healthy People 2020 target attainments by population group as part of the Healthy People 2020 Final Review. Breaks down progress in specific topic areas for various groupings, including geographic location, which provides rural and urban comparisons, as well as sex, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, family income, and disability status.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics
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U.S. Regional Differences in Physical Distancing: Evaluating Racial and Socioeconomic Divides During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines regional variations in physical distancing trends during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes differences by race, socioeconomic status, and rural and urban status.
Author(s): Emma Zang, Jessica West, Nathan Kim, Christina Pao
Citation: PLoS One, 16(11)
Date: 2021
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Rural Snapshot: Pennsylvania Health Care Providers and Facilities
Provides statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas on numbers of Pennsylvania medical doctors, healthcare professionals, and mental health professionals; percent of healthcare and social service workers ages 55 or older; and hospital beds per 1,000 residents. Includes a county-level map showing locations and numbers of various types of Pennsylvania health care facilities, with shadings indicating rural or urban counties.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Rural Transportation Issues: Research Roadmap
Report details the form and function of the transportation systems serving rural areas. Discusses gaps in service for all forms of rural transportation, including EMS and non-emergency medical transportation.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organizations: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, National Cooperative Highway Research Program
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School Districts Have Expanded Their Nonacademic Services for 2021–2022, While Academic Offerings Remain Much the Same: Selected Findings from the Third American School District Panel Survey
Report highlights the findings of an American School District Panel survey of district leaders on the potential changes to their academic and nonacademic offerings for the 2021-2022 school year. Details information on school-based mental health services and features data on rural school districts.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Heather L. Schwartz, Melissa Kay Diliberti
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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DataGram: Pennsylvania Hospitalizations for Bites and Stings, 2019
Presents county-level map with number of hospitalizations for bites and stings per 100,000 Pennsylvania residents in 2019, and statistics with breakdown by urban or rural county.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Health Disparities Report 2021
Report examining health disparity trends based on data from America's Health Rankings reports. Offers reports by state and discusses disparities related to social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Most state reports offer data comparisons by metro and nonmetro residence.
Additional links: Executive Brief, State Summaries
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Exploring the Role of Health Centers in Providing Medication-assisted Treatment
Examines the geographic areas that are most dependent on health centers for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder. Compares statistics on DATA-waived providers and health centers with MAT patients across metropolitan, non-metropolitan, and rural health centers.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Disrupting Disparities in Pennsylvania: Retooling for Geographic, Racial and Ethnic Growth
White paper examining geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in Pennsylvania along key health indicators, based on interviews with key stakeholders, a literature review, and analyses of databases on the health of Pennsylvanians. Includes sections on telehealth, broadband access as a social determinant of health, and challenges of aging in rural areas. Features demographics and statistics on prevalence of chronic diseases and maps showing Pennsylvania rural counties and Health Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Areas.
Author(s): Rose Ann DiMaria-Ghalili, Angela Foreshaw-Rouse, Martha C. Coates, et al.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
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