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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Many Rural Americans Are Still "Left Behind"
An overview of trends in rural poverty from 1959 through 2016. Discusses how rural and urban poverty are different. Highlights changes in education and employment and data on rural child poverty.
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty
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Quantification of Neighborhood-Level Social Determinants of Health in the Continental United States
Results of a study examining 71,901 census tracts, to quantify the social determinants of health (SDOH) consisting of advantage, isolation, opportunity, and mixed immigrant cohesion. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by 7 multidimensional neighborhood typologies, including Rural Affordable. Offers comparisons between SDOH in Chicago and the rest of the continental United States.
Author(s): Marynia Kolak, Jay Bhatt, Yoon Hong Park, Norma A. Padron, Ayrin Molefe
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(1)
Date: 01/2020
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Geographic Disparities Affect Access to Buprenorphine Services for Opioid Use Disorder
Results of a national study to determine the patient capacity of healthcare providers who received waivers to prescribe buprenorphine and the extent to which they were located in rural or urban areas with high rates of opioid abuse. Features 2018 county-level maps showing rates of patient capacity and counties with high need for treatment services.
Author(s): Christi A. Grimm
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Health Care Use and Access among Rural and Urban Nonelderly Adult Medicare Beneficiaries
Highlights healthcare access and utilization by disabled adults under 65 who are enrolled in Medicare. Compares rural and urban participants by demographics and geographic region, among other measures.
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Amanda Burgess, Deborah Thayer
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2017 Emergency Department Summary Tables
Provides data on ambulatory care emergency department (ED) hospital visits. Table 1 provides metropolitan/nonmetropolitan ED visit data based on hospital location, Table 2 includes metro/nonmetro ED visit data by location of patient residence, and Table 14 has metro/nonmetro injury visit data based on hospital location.
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Medicaid's Role in Financing Maternity Care
Examines the characteristics of births financed by Medicaid and other payers in 2018. Describes the demographics and health status of pregnant women by insurance type, including urban versus rural residence. Provides state-by-state data on births by payer as well as the location of birth, access to prenatal care, and birth outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries.
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Supporting the Mental Health Well-being of High School Students
Report evaluates the perceived need for school-based mental health services and the levels of access to those services by rural students and students of color. Bases results on surveys of high school students and makes corresponding recommendations. Compares the access to mental health services in rural, urban, and suburban schools.
Additional links: Infographic
Author(s): Michelle Croft, Shannon Hayes, Raeal Moore
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: ACT Center for Equity in Learning
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Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Adults, by Residence in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties in 12 States and the District of Columbia, 2017
Results of a study measuring the sugar-sweetened beverage intake of 68,896 adults, using information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by frequency of intake, state, and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan location.
Author(s): Omoye Imoisili, Sohyun Park, Elizabeth A. Lundeen, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 01/2020
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Maternal Morbidity among Women in Medicaid
Provides an overview of severe maternal morbidity and mortality (SMMM) among Medicaid beneficiaries. Presents data on SMMM rates by insurance payer, race/ethnicity, and geography, including differences among rural and urban residents. Presented by Dr. Katy Kozhimannil, director of the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center, at the January 2020 MACPAC meeting.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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QuickStats: Infant Mortality Rates For Metro and Nonmetro Counties, by Race and Hispanic Origin — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2017
Bar chart showing metropolitan and nonmetro infant mortality rates for infants of non-Hispanic White mothers, non-Hispanic Black mothers, and Hispanic mothers.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(3), 95
Date: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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