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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health

Youth Disconnection in The Rapides Foundation Service Area, 2023
Reporting analyzing young people between 16 and 24 that do not work or go to school, or "disconnected youth," in 8 Louisiana parishes. Offers statewide and national comparisons and considers regional disparities. Discusses the role of rurality and education in disconnection, among other indicators. Includes parish-level data.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Measure of America, The Rapides Foundation
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Race, Poverty, and Foster Care Placement in the United States: Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Perspectives
Examines how changes in poverty rate are related to foster care placements for Black and White children. Utilizes longitudinal data from 2000 to 2015 to analyze related socio-ecological factors and includes statistics on poverty, foster care admissions rates, and child population, further broken down according to urbanicity.
Author(s): Fred Wulczyn, Xiaomeng Zhou, Jamie McClanahan, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(16), 6572
Date: 08/2023
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Linking Local-Level Chronic Disease and Social Vulnerability Measures to Inform Planning Efforts: A COPD Example
Examines chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its relationship to community vulnerability. Utilizes multiple data sources to analyze the relationship between chronic disease and social vulnerability at the county and census-tract level, with a focus on socioeconomic factors, household composition and disability, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation. Includes U.S. maps showing prevalence of COPD and social vulnerability.
Author(s): Susan A. Carlson, Kathleen B. Watson, Sarah Rockhill, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 08/2023
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Socioeconomic and Environmental Determinants of Asthma Prevalence: A Cross-sectional Study at the U.S. County Level Using Geographically Weighted Random Forests
Examines ecological associations of asthma by social and physical determinants at the county level. Includes U.S. maps that depict asthma prevalence as well as determinants such as smoking prevalence, depression prevalence, poverty, insurance rates, and more, which are further analyzed to depict their correlation with asthma.
Author(s): Aynaz Lotfata, Mohammad Moosazadeh, Marco Helbich, Benyamin Hoseini
Citation: International Journal of Health Geographics, 22, 18
Date: 08/2023
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Contextualizing Physical Activity in Rural Adults: Do Relationships Between Income Inequality, Neighborhood Environments, and Physical Activity Exist?
Examines a selection of rural southern counties to see how social determinants of health (SDOH) are related to physical activity. Utilizes data from an August 2020-March 2021 telephone survey to analyze physical activity in 334 respondents by sex, race, income, obesity status, marriage status, as well as rates of income inequality, social cohesion, and walkability of community.
Author(s): Samuel L. K. Baxter, Giselle Corbie, Sarah F. Griffin
Citation: Health Services Research, 58(S2), 238-247
Date: 08/2023
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Improving the Social Determinants of Health in Rural America Through Medicaid Section 1115 Waivers
Policy brief discussing how Medicaid Section 1115 waivers can allow states to modify the social determinants of health in rural areas through pilot programs, delivery system reform, or enhanced benefit packages. Highlights existing Section 1115 waiver programs and recently approved and renewed waivers, as well as challenges related to improving health-related social needs and access to services in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to improve health equity in rural areas through Medicaid programs.
Author(s): Alexandra Zimmerman
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Sociodemographic and Geographic Risk Factors for All-Cause Mortality in Patients with COPD
Analyzes factors related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality while considering both individual characteristics and community risk factors. Examines 2021 COPD patient data according to sex, race/ethnicity, comorbidities, area deprivation index, and location by highly rural, rural, and urban.
Author(s): C Robichaux, J Aron, CH Wendt, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 18, 1587-1593
Date: 07/2023
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The County Role of Public Health
Provides an overview on how county-level public health agencies are involved in preparedness and response as well as addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) in their local communities. Covers the core functions of public health departments, their role in local and rural areas, and policy efforts to support local public health authorities.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Community Forums as Amplifiers of Communities' Voices: Isolated Communities in Puerto Rico
Highlights a study on health-related issues in isolated communities in Puerto Rico. Utilizes a community forum to identify health-related issues, such as primary care and mental health access, social determinants of health, emergency preparedness, and COVID-19 vaccinations, among other measures.
Author(s): Yashira M. Sánchez Colón, Edna Acosta Pérez, Mayra L. Roubert Rivera, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(14), 6335
Date: 07/2023
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Developing a National-Scale Exposure Index for Combined Environmental Hazards and Social Stressors and Applications to the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort
Discusses the process of building an index to assess environmental hazards and social stressors on pregnancy. Utilizes factors such as pollution, lack of green space, social economic status, social vulnerability, race/ethnicity, metro versus non-metro location, and more to define exposure risk.
Author(s): Sheena E. Martenies, Mingyu Zhang, Anne E. Corrigan, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(14), 6339
Date: 07/2023
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