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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

All Rural Places Are Not Created Equal: Revisiting the Rural Mortality Penalty in the United States
Examines disparities in mortality between rural and urban areas in the U.S. by measuring disparities across different levels of rurality. Includes data for rural populations and excess deaths. Table 2 covers mortality by percent African American, percent in poverty, percent age 65 years and older, region, emergency department visits, hospital physicians, and hospital beds.
Author(s): Wesley L. James
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 104(11), 2122-2129
Date: 11/2014
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Household Poverty and Nonfatal Violent Victimization, 2008-2012
Report on the impact of poverty level on victims of violent crime. Includes data and statistics for rate of violent crime, demographics, location of residence (including rural), and region of the country.
Author(s): Erika Harrell, Lynn Langton, Marcus Berzofsky, Lance Couzens, and Hope Smiley-McDonald
Date: 11/2014
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Justice
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The Prevalence and Correlates of Lifetime Psychiatric Disorders and Trauma Exposures in Urban and Rural Settings: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R)
Results of a study of national statistics to compare the correspondence of exposure to trauma and psychiatric disorders, with a particular focus on rural communities. Includes statistics and data broken down by race, age, diagnosis, types of trauma, and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jennifer S. McCall-Hosenfeld, Sucharita Mukherjee, Erik B. Lehman
Citation: PLoS One, 9(11)
Date: 11/2014
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Using PhenX Toolkit Measures and Other Tools to Assess Urban/Rural Differences in Health Behaviors: Recruitment Methods and Outcomes
Describes the recruitment approaches used in a health behaviors study that sought participants from urban and rural locations in Minnesota and North Dakota. Reports on the response by sex for three separate recruitment mailings. Offers suggestions for cost-effective recruitment strategies to ensure an adequate number of participants.
Author(s): Michael M Hitz, Pat G Conway, Jeanette A Palcher, Catherine A McCarty
Citation: BMC Research Notes, 7, 847
Date: 11/2014
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Opioid Prescribing Patterns for Non-Malignant Chronic Pain for Rural Versus Non-Rural U.S. Adults: A Population-Based Study Using 2010 NAMCS Data
Results of a survey comparing prescribing patterns of opioid drugs for non-malignant chronic pain management to determine whether rurality was a factor in over-prescribing opioids.
Author(s): Jacob P. Prunuske, Catherine A. St. Hill, Keri D. Hager, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 14, 563
Date: 11/2014
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QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Death Rates from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Among Persons Aged ≥55 Years, by Sex and Urbanization of County of Residence - United States, 2009-2011
Bar chart showing death rates from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas by gender among adults over 55.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 63(44), 1016
Date: 11/2014
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Disparities in Obesity Among Rural and Urban Residents in a Health Disparate Region
Reports on a community-based study to measure and compare the current levels of obesity and associated lifestyle behaviors of physical activity and diets of fruits and vegetables among rural and urban residents in south central Virginia and north central North Carolina.
Author(s): Jennie L Hill, Wen You, Jamie M Zoellner
Citation: BMC Public Health, 2014(14), 1051
Date: 10/2014
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Characteristics of Medicaid and Uninsured Hospitalizations, 2012
Provides data on hospital stays in 2012 where the payer was Medicaid or the patient was uninsured. Table 2 provides data on rural versus urban hospitals and Table 3 provides data for patients who were residents of rural areas.
Author(s): Lorena Lopez-Gonzalez, Gary T. Pickens, Raynard Washington, Audrey J. Weiss
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook
Updates information presented in Health, United States, 2001: With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook. Highlights current trends and disparities across different levels of metro and nonmetropolitan counties, including population characteristics; health-related behaviors and risk factors; mortality rates; healthcare access and use; mental health measures; and other health measures such as teen birth rates, tooth loss, and activity limitations due to chronic disease. Individual data tables are available in an Excel file.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alana Knudson, Tess Gilbert, et al.
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Heart Disease
Policy brief reporting on rural disparities in heart disease and the associated risk factors of obesity and physical inactivity. Includes heart disease-related death rates and information on obesity prevalence by sex, region, and rural/urban status from 2008-2010. Based on data from the 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook.
Author(s): Alana Knudson, Michael Meit, Shena Popat
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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