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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Population-Based Geographic Access to Parent and Satellite National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Facilities
Examines geographic access to National Cancer Institute cancer centers with breakdowns by age group, race/ethnicity, education level, income level, and rurality. Discusses differences for rural populations and Native Americans.
Author(s): Tracy Onega, Jennifer Alford-Teaster, Fahui Wang
Citation: Cancer, 123(17), 3305-3311
Date: 09/2017
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Rural Veterans' Dental Utilization, BRFSS, 2014
Highlight study on the dental utilization rates for rural veterans. Explores whether the rural veterans are more likely to experience negative oral health outcomes, such as missing teeth. Breaks down data by age, educational attainment, and rural versus urban location, among other factors.
Author(s): R. Constance Wiener, Chan Shen, Usha Sambamoorthi, Patricia A. Findley
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 77(4), 383-392
Date: 09/2017
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Health Service Accessibility and Risk in Cervical Cancer Prevention: Comparing Rural Versus Nonrural Residence in New Mexico
Details a study on how geographic accessibility affects rural women's cervical cancer screening rates. Compares rural and urban areas in New Mexico. Breaks down data by travel distance, year, and services provided.
Author(s): Yolanda J. McDonald, Daniel W. Goldberg, Isabel C. Scarinci, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 33(4), 382-392
Date: 09/2017
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Urban–Rural Differences in Suicide in the State of Maryland: The Role of Firearms
Analyzes suicides recorded in Maryland from 2003 to 2015 from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland to examine whether the use of firearms explain rural and urban differences in suicide rates. Includes demographic information for total suicides, firearm suicides, and nonfirearm suicides by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and rurality.
Author(s): Paul S. Nestadt, Patrick Triplett, David R. Fowler, Ramin Mojtabai
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(10), 1548-1553
Date: 09/2017
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North Dakota Nursing Facility Workforce Survey Chartbook: 2016
Analyzes the survey results from 78 nursing facility chief executive officers in North Dakota. Describes characteristics of the nursing facility workforce. Includes rural versus urban comparisons for multiple measures, such as registered nurse (RN) vacancy rates, number of nurse full-time equivalents (FTEs), level of difficulty in filling staff positions, most important problem in recruiting RNs, and many others.
Author(s): Gary Hart, Robin Besse, Mandi-Leigh Peterson
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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In Focus: Expanding Access to Addiction Treatment Through Primary Care
Discusses the lack of access to treatment for drug addiction and presents models for implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction, including one in a rural community health center. Looks at barriers to expanding MAT in primary care, as well as methods for overcoming those barriers.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Citation: Transforming Care: Reporting on Health System Improvement
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Regional Variation in Medicare Part A, Part B, and Part D Spending and Service Use
Compares Medicare spending and service use based on geographic location, including across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Seeks to identify factors that influence regional variation and determine if higher service use and/or spending results in higher quality care and outcomes. Utilizes updated data to build on findings that were published in the January 2011 Report to the Congress: Regional Variation in Medicare Service Use. Data is adjusted to account for differences in payment rates to certain providers, such as Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Barriers and Facilitators to Implementation of VA Home-based Primary Care on American Indian Reservations: A Qualitative Multi-case Study
Highlights a study on the efficacy of the Veterans Health Affairs (VA) home-based primary care program at providing non-institutional long-term care for rural American Indian veterans living on reservations. Bases findings on a qualitative analysis of interviews conducted with staff, clinicians, and managers who oversaw the program's implementation. Discusses the challenges, barriers, and facilitators related the program's expansion into Indian Country.
Author(s): B. Josea Kramer, Sarah D. Cote, Diane I. Lee, Beth Creekmur, Debra Saliba
Citation: Implementation Science, 12, 109
Date: 09/2017
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Rural and Urban Differences in Passenger-Vehicle–Occupant Deaths and Seat Belt Use Among Adults — United States, 2014
Examines motor-vehicle crash deaths and seat belt use by level of rurality. Includes regional rural-urban data on death rates and type of state seat belt enforcement law (primary or secondary). Also provides data on unrestrained passenger-vehicle occupants in fatal crashes by level of rurality. For self-reported seat belt use, includes demographic data for metropolitan and nonmetro counties.
Author(s): Laurie F. Beck, Jonathan Downs, Mark R. Stevens, Erin K. Sauber-Schatz
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(17), 1-13
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The Differences in Characteristics Among Households With and Without Obese Children: Findings From USDA's FoodAPS
Examines characteristics of households with at least one obese child and without any obese children. Table 2 compares rural and urban household financial well-being, as it relates to obesity. Table 3 examines the food environment for rural households with and without obese children.
Author(s): Young Jo
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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