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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Rural Curricular Guidelines Based on Practice Scope of Recent Residency Graduates Practicing in Small Communities
Study using data from surveys self-administered between 2007-2014, exploring scope of practice of 586 recent graduates practicing in rural areas. Features statistics on demographics and various types of clinical activities, with breakdowns by small, medium, or large practice community size.
Author(s): Joe M. Skariah, Carl Rasmussen, Joyce Hollander-Rodriguez, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 49(8), 594-599
Date: 09/2017
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Veterans Are Positioned To Contribute Economically to Rural Communities
Describes the geographic distribution of rural working age and elderly veterans. Identifies the employment sectors where rural veterans work, including their contribution to education and health-related occupations. Compares the earnings of rural veterans and nonveterans by employment sector.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural Areas Show Overall Population Decline and Shifting Regional Patterns of Population Change
Reports on nonmetropolitan population loss trends. Includes data on natural population change (births minus deaths) and net migration (in-migrants minus out-migrants). Includes maps highlighting nonmetro population change patterns across the U.S.
Author(s): John Cromartie
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Understanding the Prevalence, Severity, and Distribution of Food Insecurity in the United States
Reports on food insecurity in 2016, including data on nonmetropolitan households that have low food security and very low food security.
Author(s): Matthew P. Rabbitt, Alisha Coleman-Jensen, Christian A. Gregory
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Infant Mortality Rates in Rural and Urban Areas in the United States, 2014
Reports on infant mortality in 2014 among rural, small and medium urban, and large urban counties. Includes data by infant age at death for neonatal (0-27 days) and postneonatal (28-364 days) deaths. Provides infant mortality data by mother's age and by mother's race for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic mothers.
Author(s): Danielle M. Ely, Anne K. Driscoll, T.J. Mathews
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Overdose Deaths Related to Fentanyl and Its Analogs — Ohio, January-February 2017
Reports findings from a study of 281 unintentional overdose fatalities in 25 Ohio counties from January-February 2017, checking for the presence of fentanyl analogs, opioids, and other drugs. Includes demographic and drug data by type of county, including data for rural and Appalachian counties.
Additional links: Errata
Author(s): Raminta Daniulaityte, Matthew P. Juhascik, Kraig E. Strayer, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(34), 904-908
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Pollution and Regional Variations of Lung Cancer Mortality in the United States
Identifies counties in the U.S. with higher rates of lung cancer mortality and related community-level factors, including rurality, socioeconomic status, level of particulate matter pollution, and access to healthcare. Includes a map showing lung cancer mortality clusters and a "lung cancer mortality belt" from eastern Oklahoma through central Appalachia.
Author(s): Justin Xavier Moore, Tomi Akinyemiju, Henry E. Wang
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, 49, 118-127
Date: 08/2017
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County-Level Cumulative Environmental Quality Associated with Cancer Incidence
Uses the environmental quality index (EQI), a county-level measure of cumulative environmental exposures, to examine all-site and site-specific cancer incidence. Explores rural versus urban factors influencing environmental quality. Includes statistics of cancer incidence and EQI for rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Jyotsna S. Jagai, Lynne C. Messer, Kristen M. Rappazzo, et al.
Citation: Cancer, 123(5), 2901-2908
Date: 08/2017
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Antibiotic Prescription Fill Rates Declining in the U.S.
Examines antibiotic prescriptions filled as a result of an outpatient visit by commercially insured members of Blue Cross Blue Shield from 2010 to 2016. Includes statistics on antibiotic prescription fill rates in urban and rural counties by antibiotic type.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: Blue Cross Blue Shield
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Quality of Vegetables Based on Total Phenolic Concentration Is Lower in More Rural Consumer Food Environments in a Rural American State
Examines fruit and vegetable quality through the use of total phenolic (TP) scores comparing rural and urban consumer food environments in Montana. TP score is a phytochemical measure for health-promoting attributes, flavor, appearance, and shelf-life. Includes data showing TP scores by rurality for both fruits and vegetables.
Author(s): Selena Ahmed, Carmen Byker Shanks
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8), 924
Date: 08/2017
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