Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
County Characteristics Associated With Receipt of Food Boxes Through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program
Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reports on county-level food box distribution through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program between May 2020 and May 2021. Provides data on program funding and characteristics of food distributed by program round. Examines associations between likelihood of receiving food boxes and county-level rurality, access to food, and other demographic factors.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Saied Toossi, Katy Georg
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2023
Research note providing data on all police-reported traffic crashes including fatalities and people injured from the 2023 Fatality Analysis Reporting System Annual Report File and the 2023 Crash Report Sampling System, along with data in prior years. Features statistics on fatalities from 2014-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Research note providing data on all police-reported traffic crashes including fatalities and people injured from the 2023 Fatality Analysis Reporting System Annual Report File and the 2023 Crash Report Sampling System, along with data in prior years. Features statistics on fatalities from 2014-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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The Rural and Urban Supply of Clinicians With a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine in 2022 Prior to the Elimination of the Waiver Requirement
Report explores the differences in rates of clinicians with DEA waivers to prescribe buprenorphine in 2022 in rural versus urban counties. Highlights the rural gaps in access to buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder prior to the elimination of the DEA waiver requirement in 2023. Provides rural, urban, and regional comparisons.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Report explores the differences in rates of clinicians with DEA waivers to prescribe buprenorphine in 2022 in rural versus urban counties. Highlights the rural gaps in access to buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder prior to the elimination of the DEA waiver requirement in 2023. Provides rural, urban, and regional comparisons.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Medicare Beneficiary Receipt of Methadone by Drive Time to Opioid Treatment Programs
Examines availability of methadone at opioid treatment programs for Medicare beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. Utilizes data from 640,706 Medicare beneficiaries and analyzes their respective drive time to a treatment facility as well as receipt of methadone treatment. Includes U.S. map showing locations of opioid treatment programs and rural versus urban comparisons of patient drive times.
Author(s): Jonathan Cantor, Helin G. Hernandez, Aaron Kofner, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(4)
Date: 04/2025
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Examines availability of methadone at opioid treatment programs for Medicare beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with an opioid use disorder. Utilizes data from 640,706 Medicare beneficiaries and analyzes their respective drive time to a treatment facility as well as receipt of methadone treatment. Includes U.S. map showing locations of opioid treatment programs and rural versus urban comparisons of patient drive times.
Author(s): Jonathan Cantor, Helin G. Hernandez, Aaron Kofner, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(4)
Date: 04/2025
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Mapping Maternity Care Deserts: Driving Distance and Health Outcomes in North Carolina
Examines the relationship between maternity care deserts in North Carolina and maternal and infant health. Utilizes 2016-2021 hospitalization records to examine travel distance to care and health outcomes such as cesarean delivery rates, severe maternal morbidity, and hypertension. Discusses maternal health access issues across rural-urban commuting (RUCA) codes.
Author(s): Margaret Sugg, Shishir Shakya, Sarah Ulrich, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 04/2025
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Examines the relationship between maternity care deserts in North Carolina and maternal and infant health. Utilizes 2016-2021 hospitalization records to examine travel distance to care and health outcomes such as cesarean delivery rates, severe maternal morbidity, and hypertension. Discusses maternal health access issues across rural-urban commuting (RUCA) codes.
Author(s): Margaret Sugg, Shishir Shakya, Sarah Ulrich, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 04/2025
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Chronic Disease Prevalence among New Mexican Adults: Results from the 2023 New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Reports on chronic health conditions in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data. Covers conditions including arthritis, respiratory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and more. Provides data breakdowns for each condition by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Reports on chronic health conditions in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data. Covers conditions including arthritis, respiratory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and more. Provides data breakdowns for each condition by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Evaluation of FMVSS No. 226: Curtain Air Bags and Ejection Mitigation in Rollover Events
Results of a study evaluating the likelihood of occupant ejection in the presence of curtain air bags deployable during a rollover, and how other factors can affect this outcome. Uses data from the Crash Report Sampling System for 2016-2021. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Eliseo Acevedo Díaz
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Results of a study evaluating the likelihood of occupant ejection in the presence of curtain air bags deployable during a rollover, and how other factors can affect this outcome. Uses data from the Crash Report Sampling System for 2016-2021. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Eliseo Acevedo Díaz
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Occupant Restraint Use in 2023: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study
Presents results from the 2023 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2022 and 2023 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Lacey B. Werth
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Presents results from the 2023 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2022 and 2023 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Lacey B. Werth
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Social Determinants of Health and Variability in Treatment for Patients with Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Examines census tract-level social determinants of health (SDOH) and their impact on lung cancer treatment. Utilizes 2017-2022 Syapse Learning Health Network data to analyze patient social and demographic variables, housing burden, broadband internet access, primary care shortage areas, and rurality, as correlated with radiation therapy and/or surgery.
Author(s): Molly Scannell Bryan, Xiaohan Hu, Monika A. Izano, et al.
Citation: JNCI Cancer Spectrum, 9(2)
Date: 04/2025
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Examines census tract-level social determinants of health (SDOH) and their impact on lung cancer treatment. Utilizes 2017-2022 Syapse Learning Health Network data to analyze patient social and demographic variables, housing burden, broadband internet access, primary care shortage areas, and rurality, as correlated with radiation therapy and/or surgery.
Author(s): Molly Scannell Bryan, Xiaohan Hu, Monika A. Izano, et al.
Citation: JNCI Cancer Spectrum, 9(2)
Date: 04/2025
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The Relationship Between Food and Housing Insecurity and Healthcare Use among Virginia Medicaid Expansion Members: Considering the Neighborhood Context
Examines how rurality and residential segregation impact food and housing insecurity in Medicaid expansion members in Virginia. Analyzes 14,735 individuals in 2019 for food and housing security, with demographic breakdowns by sex, race/ethnicity, age, health status, healthcare usage, income, and urban, suburban, or rural location.
Author(s): Hannah Shadowen, Sarah J. Marks, Olufemi Obembe, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(S2)
Date: 04/2025
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Examines how rurality and residential segregation impact food and housing insecurity in Medicaid expansion members in Virginia. Analyzes 14,735 individuals in 2019 for food and housing security, with demographic breakdowns by sex, race/ethnicity, age, health status, healthcare usage, income, and urban, suburban, or rural location.
Author(s): Hannah Shadowen, Sarah J. Marks, Olufemi Obembe, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(S2)
Date: 04/2025
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