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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges
Highlights patterns in insurance coverage and uninsurance rates in rural and urban areas, explores non-financial challenges in accessing care faced by rural residents, and describes disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural areas. Features statistics on number of uninsured rural non-elderly adults by state, in 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, Eden Volkov, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Thomas Buchmueller
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Daily Screen Time Among Teenagers: United States, July 2021–December 2023
Discusses the prevalence of screen time among teenagers and the correlation to heath issues such as poor sleep, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Utilizes data from the July 2021-December 2023 National Health Interview Survey–Teen (NHIS–Teen) to examine daily screen time among teenagers aged 12-17 according to screen time amounts, age group, sex, race/ethnicity, household poverty, parental education, mental health, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Benjamin Zablotsky, Basilica Arockiaraj, Gelila Haile, Amanda E. Ng
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Recovery From COVID-19–Related Disruptions in Cancer Detection
Examines changes in cancer screening and diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing 2000-2021 SEER Program data. Identifies trends in overall cancer incidence and diagnosis, and provides data on clinical and demographic disparities in diagnosis, including breakdowns by level of rurality. Discusses the significance of pandemic-influenced missed cancer diagnoses for underserved patients.
Author(s): Uriel Kim, Johnie Rose, Bryan T. Carroll, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(10), e2439263
Date: 10/2024
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Social Isolation and Loneliness Prevention among Rural Older Adults Aging-in-Place: A Needs Assessment
Surveyed 82 rural older adults aging in place in rural Appalachian Tennessee to determined local factors contributing to social isolation and loneliness. Discusses neighborhood conditions, interpersonal relationships and activities, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Offers rural-specific strategies for addressing social isolation and loneliness in rural communities.
Author(s): Jodi L. Southerland, Shimin Zheng, Kayla Dodson, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1404869
Date: 10/2024
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Trends in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates: Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 2022
Presents information on eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) alongside actual participation in SNAP. Presents information on households, children, elderly, refugees, low-income families, persons with disabilities, and other groups enrolled in the program. Tables A.3 and B.3 show rural versus urban participation.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Alma Vigil, Nima Rahimi
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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2023 Summer Non-Congregate Meal Service: Results from the 2023 Summer Non-Congregate Sponsor Survey
Evaluates the implementation of the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which permanently allowed for rural non-congregate meal service as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Meal Programs. Provides 2023 survey data from State agency sponsors operating summer non-congregate meal service for children, with a focus on site participation, sponsor experiences, meal pick up sites, meal delivery, and future plans for non-congregate meal service.
Additional links: Appendix A - Survey, Data Tables
Author(s): Susannah Barr
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Differing Needs for Advance Care Planning in the Veterans Health Administration: Use of Latent Class Analysis to Identify Subgroups to Enhance Advance Care Planning via Group Visits for Veterans
Analyzes the Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV) intervention among identifiable subgroups and their potential differing needs. Examines healthcare records of 26,857 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) users regarding their ACP knowledge and planning, with demographic breakdowns according to sex, marital status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Monica M. Matthieu, Songthip T. Ounpraseuth, J. Silas Williams, et al.
Citation: BMC Medical Ethics, 25, 120
Date: 10/2024
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Strengthening Rural Health: The Role of HPV Vaccination
Recording of an October 1, 2024, webinar regarding trends in HPV-related cancers in rural areas and the importance of HPV vaccination to cancer prevention. Features Heather Brandt, Director of the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's HPV Cancer Prevention Program. Discusses the hospital's efforts to increase HPV vaccinations in rural communities. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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A Qualitative Study of Rural Plant-Based Eaters' Knowledge and Practices for Nutritional Adequacy
Examines nutritional knowledge, strategies, and access to nutritional expertise among 28 adults who follow a flexitarian, pescatarian, vegan, or vegetarian diet in rural Vermont. Discusses factors influencing the nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets, and identifies gaps in nutritional support for rural people following plant-based diets.
Author(s): Michelle Leonetti, Jane Kolodinsky, Amy Trubek, Emily H. Belarmino
Citation: Nutrients, 16(20), 3504
Date: 10/2024
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Validation of Prognostic Scales for Functional Outcome in Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Intravenous Thrombolysis in a Rural Setting
Examines the efficacy of prognostic tools for stroke recovery in a rural setting, utilizing data of 279 stroke patients who received thrombolytic therapy at the Southern Illinois Healthcare Stroke Network from July 2017 to June 2024. Provides data on the performance of the DRAGON, MRI-DRAGON, and S-TPI tools in predicting positive and negative patient outcomes.
Author(s): Andrea Loggini, Faddi G. Saleh Velez, Jonatan Hornik, et al.
Citation: Cerebrovascular Diseases Extra, 14(1), 148-157
Date: 10/2024
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