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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

2017 County Health Rankings Key Findings Report
Provides information on county-level health disparities by analyzing health factors and outcomes throughout the U.S. Covers risk factors for premature death, including drug overdose and other injury fatalities, and discusses opportunities for youth and young adults. Includes data breakdowns by rurality and race/ethnicity.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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A Health Picture of HUD-Assisted Adults, 2006-2012
Describes the health characteristics of adults living in HUD-assisted households, using data from the National Health Interview Survey. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population classification, including noncore.
Author(s): Veronica E. Helms, Jon Sperling, Barry L. Steffen
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, March 2017
Reports on three aspects of Medicaid: Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments to states and providers, access to Medicaid, and children's coverage under CHIP. Chapter 2 includes the second annual report on DSH payments, which provide support to safety-net hospitals to help offset uncompensated care costs for Medicaid and uninsured patients. Table 2-1 identifies DSH spending for urban and rural hospitals and for Critical Access Hospitals. Chapter 3 examines state policies for distributing DSH payments to hospitals, including which states target rural or Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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An Approach to Developing Local Climate Change Environmental Public Health Indicators in a Rural District
Explores climate and environmental public health indicators for a seven-county public health department in western Kentucky. Identifies public health hazards and vulnerability indicators and features statistics on percentages of population living in rural areas of the counties studied.
Author(s): Adele Houghton, Jessica Austin, Abby Beerman, Clayton Horton
Citation: Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2017, 3407325
Date: 03/2017
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Rural Hospital Environmental Impact Study
Examines the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, particularly as it relates to rural Texas, by focusing on four areas: the state of healthcare, rural hospital closures and vulnerabilities, the impact of the Affordable Care Act, and uninsurance rates. Presents information about the current and future state of healthcare in rural Texas to support rural health policymakers.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals
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Trends in Suicide by Level of Urbanization — United States, 1999–2015
Reports on suicide rates from 1999–2015, with data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and non-core (rural) areas. Discusses possible causes for geographic disparities in suicide rates, including limited access to mental health care, social isolation, and the opioid overdose epidemic. Also discusses the widening gap beginning in 2007-2008, which may relate to the impact of the recession on rural areas.
Author(s): Scott R. Kegler, Deborah M. Stone, Kristin M. Holland
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(10), 270-273
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Differences in Health Care, Family, and Community Factors Associated with Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders Among Children Aged 2–8 Years in Rural and Urban Areas — United States, 2011–2012
Provides rural and urban data on a variety of health-related factors for children 2-8 years of age with and without mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders. Topics addressed include demographics, health insurance coverage, having a medical home, parental mental health, family financial difficulties, and community factors.
Author(s): Lara R. Robinson, Joseph R. Holbrook, Rebecca H. Bitsko, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(8), 1-11
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Residing in Economically Distressed Rural Appalachia is Independently Associated with Excess Body Weight in College Students
Results of a study comparing body weights and obesity risks of college students aged 18-25 years, 55 of whom who were lifelong residents of rural Eastern Appalachian Kentucky and 54 from urban central Kentucky. Features statistics including age, education, sex, insurance status, household income, and health behaviors, with breakdowns by rural or urban status.
Author(s): Demetrius Abshire, Terry Lennie, Gia Mudd-Martin, Debra Moser
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 17(1), 3984
Date: 03/2017
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Who Experiences Very Low Food Security?
Bar chart showing characteristics of households experiencing very low food security, which may include cutting back on or skipping meals or going a whole day without eating. Includes data comparing city, suburban, and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on 2015 Current Population Survey data.
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Women's Health Care: The Experiences and Behaviors of Rural and Urban Lesbians in the USA
Results of a national study of 895 urban and rural lesbians, highlighting healthcare disparities in terms of access to preventive care, screening, and treatment. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): K. Nikki Barefoot, Jacob C. Warren, K. Bryant Smalley
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 17(1), 3875
Date: 03/2017
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