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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Rural and Urban Differences in Air Quality, 2008-2012, and Community Drinking Water Quality, 2010-2015 — United States
Examines air- and water-quality data and discusses how these environmental hazards vary across a spectrum of urban to rural counties. Includes rural-urban air pollutant data for ozone and particulate matter and data for 10 water contaminants for rural and urban community water systems.
Author(s): Heather Strosnider, Caitlin Kennedy, Michele Monti, Fuyuen Yip
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(13), 1-10
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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In 2015, Annual Earnings in Rural Areas Were 15 Percent Lower than Earnings in Urban Areas
Bar chart showing rural and urban median earnings by industry, covering a variety of industries including mining, manufacturing, finance, agriculture, and recreation.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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CMS Hospital Quality Star Rating: For 762 Rural Hospitals, No Stars Is the Problem
Examines the characteristics of rural hospitals with and without quality star ratings, and explains how the current methodology disproportionately affects rural hospitals. Makes recommendations for improving the utility of the Hospital Quality Star Rating system, especially for the purpose of comparing quality among rural hospitals or between rural and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Kristie W. Thompson, Randy K. Randolph, Kristin L. Reiter, George H. Pink, G. Mark Holmes
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural and Urban Utilization of the Emergency Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Details a report on the use of emergency services in treating mental health and substance abuse (MH/SA) in both rural and urban settings. Discusses healthcare needs of MH/SA patients, as well as the increasing demands on emergency departments. Breaks down data by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural emergency departments, as well as by age and primary payer of patients.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder, Mandi Leigh-Peterson
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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QuickStats: Percentage of Children and Teens Aged 4-17 Years Ever Diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), by Sex and Urbanization of County of Residence — National Health Interview Survey, 2013–2015
Bar chart showing ADHD diagnoses for boys and girls, with data for metropolitan and nonmetro counties.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(23), 625
Date: 06/2017
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Factors Affecting States' Ability to Respond to Federal Medicaid Cuts and Caps: Which States Are Most At Risk?
Examines 30 key factors that contribute to state-by-state differences in Medicaid per enrollee spending including rural population, and uses the factors to rank and identify which states are at greatest risk if federal Medicaid cuts or caps are enacted. Presents findings across five main areas: Medicaid policy, demographics, health status, available tax revenue and state budget choices, and healthcare markets.
Author(s): Robin Rudowitz, Allison Valentine, Petry Ubri, Julia Zur
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Determinants of the 5-Year Retention and Rural Location of Family Physicians: Results from the Iowa Family Medicine Training Network
Analysis of data from 8 residency programs associated with the Carver College of Medicine. Includes statistics with breakdowns by decade of graduation, place of residency, 5-year retention rate, and rural location.
Author(s): Gregory Nelson, Thomas S. Gruca
Citation: Family Medicine, 49(6), 473-476
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
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Medicaid in Small Towns and Rural America: A Lifeline for Children, Families, and Communities
Uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) to explore the changing levels of Medicaid coverage and uninsured rates at the county level by age. Addresses the role of Medicaid in the 46 states containing small-town and rural populations. Includes numerous charts, maps, and graphs to help illustrate the relationship between Medicaid growth and uninsured rates in rural areas, focusing on the time period from 2008-2009 to 2014-2015.
Additional links: Interactive Map: The Percent of Adults in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, Interactive Map: The Percent of Children in Small Towns and Rural Areas Covered by Medicaid, 2014/15, State Data on Adult Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Child Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Non-Elderly Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas, State Data on Seniors' Health Coverage in Small Towns and Rural Areas
Author(s): Jack Hoadley, Karina Wagnerman, Joan Alker, Mark Holmes
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Rate of Motor Vehicle Traffic Deaths, by Urbanization of County of Residence — 2005 and 2015
Bar chart showing motor vehicle traffic deaths in 2005 and 2015 by level of urbanization for metropolitan and nonmetro counties.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(21), 567
Date: 06/2017
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Health, United States, 2015: With Special Feature on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
Presents an annual overview of national trends in health statistics. Covers health status and determinants, healthcare utilization, access, and expenditures. Includes data on rural areas - see index under "Metropolitan/nonmetropolitan data." Includes a special section on racial and ethnic health disparities, covering health status, health behaviors, and healthcare access and utilization.
Date: 06/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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