Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Chronic Pain Prevalence and Trends in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Areas among American Adults Aged 55+, 1998–2022
Compares the prevalence of chronic pain and associated trends in rural, suburban, and urban areas among adults aged 55 and older, utilizing 1998-2022 Health and Retirement Study data.
Author(s): Yulin Yang, Feinuo Sun, Zachary Zimmer, et al.
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 385, 118625
Date: 11/2025
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Compares the prevalence of chronic pain and associated trends in rural, suburban, and urban areas among adults aged 55 and older, utilizing 1998-2022 Health and Retirement Study data.
Author(s): Yulin Yang, Feinuo Sun, Zachary Zimmer, et al.
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 385, 118625
Date: 11/2025
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Association of Injury-Related Mortality with Unique Domains of Social Determinants of Health Across the Urban-Rural Continuum
Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 11/2025
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Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 11/2025
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Benzodiazepine Use Among Older Adults: Any Use and Concurrent Use With Opioids
Statistical brief examining rates of prescription benzodiazepine use by demographic group, insurance type, and health status, using 2021-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. See Figure 6 for metro-nonmetro comparison data on benzodiazepine use and concurrent benzodiazepine-opioid use.
Author(s): Salam Abdus, G. Edward Miller
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Statistical brief examining rates of prescription benzodiazepine use by demographic group, insurance type, and health status, using 2021-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. See Figure 6 for metro-nonmetro comparison data on benzodiazepine use and concurrent benzodiazepine-opioid use.
Author(s): Salam Abdus, G. Edward Miller
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Cardiovascular Disease Burden in Arizona - 2022
Reports on cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity, mortality, and characteristics in Arizona, utilizing 2022 Arizona Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Includes demographic data breakdowns, including rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): Amanda Swanson
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Reports on cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity, mortality, and characteristics in Arizona, utilizing 2022 Arizona Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Includes demographic data breakdowns, including rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): Amanda Swanson
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Time to Build: How Do We Develop More (Affordable) Housing in Rural America?
Provides discussion on housing policy, statistics on rural housing supply, and potential solutions to provide more rural housing options, such as utilizing public lands, manufactured homes, and more. Includes county-level data on housing unit changes and metro versus nonmetro trends in new single family homes.
Additional links: Housing Unit Change, 2013-2023 Infographic
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Provides discussion on housing policy, statistics on rural housing supply, and potential solutions to provide more rural housing options, such as utilizing public lands, manufactured homes, and more. Includes county-level data on housing unit changes and metro versus nonmetro trends in new single family homes.
Additional links: Housing Unit Change, 2013-2023 Infographic
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2023 Data: Summary of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes
Contains information on fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural areas and a state-level map showing fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, as of 2023.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Contains information on fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural areas and a state-level map showing fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, as of 2023.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Urban-Rural Disparities in Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis of Primary Bone Cancer: An Observational Study
Examines associations between rural or urban residence and primary bone cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, utilizing NCI SEER data of patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2019. Provides data on rural-urban differences in overall survival, cancer-specific survival, receipt of treatment methods including local surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and stage at diagnosis.
Author(s): Chenbo Ouyang, Xuanwen Liu, Chunyu Chen, Changping Chen
Citation: Medicine, 104(43), e45548
Date: 10/2025
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Examines associations between rural or urban residence and primary bone cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, utilizing NCI SEER data of patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2019. Provides data on rural-urban differences in overall survival, cancer-specific survival, receipt of treatment methods including local surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, and stage at diagnosis.
Author(s): Chenbo Ouyang, Xuanwen Liu, Chunyu Chen, Changping Chen
Citation: Medicine, 104(43), e45548
Date: 10/2025
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Trends in Pancreatic Cancer Mortality among US Adults, 1999–2023
Analyzes trends in pancreatic cancer mortality by demographic group, utilizing 1999-2023 CDC WONDER data. Includes data comparisons between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, among other factors.
Author(s): Tianxing Wu, Zhongliu Bian, Nan Qin, Jingtao Chen
Citation: BMC Gastroenterology, 25, 768
Date: 10/2025
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Analyzes trends in pancreatic cancer mortality by demographic group, utilizing 1999-2023 CDC WONDER data. Includes data comparisons between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, among other factors.
Author(s): Tianxing Wu, Zhongliu Bian, Nan Qin, Jingtao Chen
Citation: BMC Gastroenterology, 25, 768
Date: 10/2025
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Medicare Advantage Enrollees Have Access to About Half of the Physicians Available to Traditional Medicare Beneficiaries
Explores how provider networks vary across Medicare Advantage plans and when compared to traditional Medicare. Examines the share of physicians available to Medicare Advantage enrollees as a share of physicians available to traditional Medicare beneficiaries by analyzing Medicare Advantage provider directories for 2022. Includes information on the availability of physicians to Medicare Advantage enrollees and traditional Medicare beneficiaries in rural counties.
Author(s): Matthew Rae, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Tricia Neuman, Karen Pollitz
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Explores how provider networks vary across Medicare Advantage plans and when compared to traditional Medicare. Examines the share of physicians available to Medicare Advantage enrollees as a share of physicians available to traditional Medicare beneficiaries by analyzing Medicare Advantage provider directories for 2022. Includes information on the availability of physicians to Medicare Advantage enrollees and traditional Medicare beneficiaries in rural counties.
Author(s): Matthew Rae, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Tricia Neuman, Karen Pollitz
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Greater Physician Supply Associated with Lower Mortality in Rural Counties: A 23-Year County-Level Longitudinal Observational Study
Examines the relationship between increasing the primary care physician supply in rural areas and corresponding mortality rates. Provides data from a study conducted between 1992-2014 and analyzes rural versus urban trends in mortality rates and physician supply. Discusses rural healthcare practitioner workforce needs, rural versus urban healthcare disparities, and access to care.
Author(s): Nasim B. Ferdows, Cyrus Kosar, Orestis Panagiotou, Momotazur Rahman
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 62
Date: 10/2025
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Examines the relationship between increasing the primary care physician supply in rural areas and corresponding mortality rates. Provides data from a study conducted between 1992-2014 and analyzes rural versus urban trends in mortality rates and physician supply. Discusses rural healthcare practitioner workforce needs, rural versus urban healthcare disparities, and access to care.
Author(s): Nasim B. Ferdows, Cyrus Kosar, Orestis Panagiotou, Momotazur Rahman
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 62
Date: 10/2025
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