Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health
Outcomes Among Patients With Colon Cancer Living in Neighborhoods With Persistent Poverty
Results of a study comparing clinical outcomes for colon cancer patients based on the number of census tracts per ZIP code that were in persistent poverty at the time of diagnosis. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Leon Naar, Alexa L. Pohl, Arden M. Morris, Aaron J. Dawes,
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2551212.
Date: 01/2026
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Results of a study comparing clinical outcomes for colon cancer patients based on the number of census tracts per ZIP code that were in persistent poverty at the time of diagnosis. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Leon Naar, Alexa L. Pohl, Arden M. Morris, Aaron J. Dawes,
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2551212.
Date: 01/2026
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Household Food Security in the United States in 2024
Reports on household food security, food expenditures, and use of federal food and nutrition assistance programs in 2024. Includes food insecurity statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Additional links: Statistical Supplement, Summary
Author(s): Matthew P. Rabbitt, Madeline Reed-Jones, Laura J. Hales, Shellye Suttles, Michael P. Burke
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Reports on household food security, food expenditures, and use of federal food and nutrition assistance programs in 2024. Includes food insecurity statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Additional links: Statistical Supplement, Summary
Author(s): Matthew P. Rabbitt, Madeline Reed-Jones, Laura J. Hales, Shellye Suttles, Michael P. Burke
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Community Resilience and Stroke Outcomes in Older Adults: Beyond Rural-Urban Classifications
Examines the impact of community resilience and stroke burden across rural and urban U.S. counties. Utilizes data from Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 or older as well as the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities (BRIC) index to examine county-level social determinants of health that measure resilience. Provides rural versus urban breakdowns of stroke burden and BRIC resilience metrics.
Author(s): Ruaa Al Juboori, Emily Welker, Marie Barnard, Keith Anderson
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 12/2025
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Examines the impact of community resilience and stroke burden across rural and urban U.S. counties. Utilizes data from Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 or older as well as the Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities (BRIC) index to examine county-level social determinants of health that measure resilience. Provides rural versus urban breakdowns of stroke burden and BRIC resilience metrics.
Author(s): Ruaa Al Juboori, Emily Welker, Marie Barnard, Keith Anderson
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 12/2025
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American Cancer Society's Report on the Status of Cancer Disparities in the United States, 2025
Reports on cancer disparities by various demographic factors, socioeconomic status, geography, and other factors, utilizing 2018-2022 North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) data. Contains metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan data comparisons throughout, and discusses factors influencing access to cancer screening and treatment, including rurality.
Author(s): Farhad Islami, Gladys Arias, Dongjun Lee, et al.
Citation: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 76(1), e70045
Date: 12/2025
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Reports on cancer disparities by various demographic factors, socioeconomic status, geography, and other factors, utilizing 2018-2022 North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) data. Contains metropolitan versus nonmetropolitan data comparisons throughout, and discusses factors influencing access to cancer screening and treatment, including rurality.
Author(s): Farhad Islami, Gladys Arias, Dongjun Lee, et al.
Citation: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 76(1), e70045
Date: 12/2025
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Associations of Social Deprivation and Oncology Physician Network Vulnerability With Acute Care Utilization in the SEER-Medicare Population
Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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Discusses the socioeconomic factors that correlate with acute care utilization among cancer patients, as well as the effect of regional specialist scarcity. Draws from Medicare data on patients with breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who have visited emergency departments or had non-elective hospitalizations and explores correlating social and regional factors, such as sex, rurality, social deprivation index score, and proximity to an oncology physician, among others.
Author(s): Ashlee A. Korsberg, Gabriel A. Brooks, A. James O'Malley, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, e70070
Date: 11/2025
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Association of Injury-Related Mortality with Unique Domains of Social Determinants of Health Across the Urban-Rural Continuum
Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 11/2025
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Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 11/2025
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2025 Nebraska Rural Poll Research Report: Well Being
Analyzes 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive their current and future well-being, life satisfaction, personal finances, impact of marital status, feelings of loneliness, and more. Includes survey data and demographic information on survey respondents.
Author(s): Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Analyzes 2025 Nebraska Rural Poll results related to how rural Nebraskans perceive their current and future well-being, life satisfaction, personal finances, impact of marital status, feelings of loneliness, and more. Includes survey data and demographic information on survey respondents.
Author(s): Heather Akin, Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Mary Emery, et al.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Assessing Measurement Invariance in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Environment Across Levels of Urbanicity
Examines neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) variables by census tract and their relationship to public health. Provides data on poverty, use of public assistance, employment characteristics, transportation insecurity, education, and more, by higher density urban, lower density urban, suburban/small town, and rural location.
Author(s): S. S. A. De Silva, Melissa A. Meeker, Tara P. McAlexander, et al.
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 102, 1094-1103
Date: 10/2025
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Examines neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) variables by census tract and their relationship to public health. Provides data on poverty, use of public assistance, employment characteristics, transportation insecurity, education, and more, by higher density urban, lower density urban, suburban/small town, and rural location.
Author(s): S. S. A. De Silva, Melissa A. Meeker, Tara P. McAlexander, et al.
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 102, 1094-1103
Date: 10/2025
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Sociodemographic Predictors of County-Level Mammography Screening Rates in the United States
Examines the relationship between mammography screening rates and county-level sociodemographic variables. Utilizes 2024 data to analyze screening engagement by demographic breakdowns, rurality, and county. Includes county-level U.S. map showing percentage of the population engaging in recommended screenings.
Author(s): Randy C. Miles, Caroline J. Walsh, Nhat-Tuan Tran, et al.
Citation: Radiology: Imaging Cancer, 7(6)
Date: 10/2025
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Examines the relationship between mammography screening rates and county-level sociodemographic variables. Utilizes 2024 data to analyze screening engagement by demographic breakdowns, rurality, and county. Includes county-level U.S. map showing percentage of the population engaging in recommended screenings.
Author(s): Randy C. Miles, Caroline J. Walsh, Nhat-Tuan Tran, et al.
Citation: Radiology: Imaging Cancer, 7(6)
Date: 10/2025
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Disparities in Geographic Access to Cardiac Rehabilitation among Socially Vulnerable Communities
Examines geographic and social disparities regarding access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) care. Analyzes the relationship between CR access and social vulnerability, focusing on county CR availability, population size, distance to CR services, percentage without health insurance, and more. Includes metro versus rural county comparisons and discusses the role of rurality in CR access.
Author(s): Edward W. Chen, WenâChih Wu, Ling Han, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association,14, 20
Date: 10/2025
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Examines geographic and social disparities regarding access to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) care. Analyzes the relationship between CR access and social vulnerability, focusing on county CR availability, population size, distance to CR services, percentage without health insurance, and more. Includes metro versus rural county comparisons and discusses the role of rurality in CR access.
Author(s): Edward W. Chen, WenâChih Wu, Ling Han, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association,14, 20
Date: 10/2025
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