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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

Rural Health Curriculum in Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs: A Narrative Review
Evaluates 93 Bachelor of Science in Nursing courses and initiatives to determine how rural health is integrated into course curricula. Includes analysis of course or initiative length, population focus, and states where courses are located. Discusses rural in larger population health training contexts, training methods, and implications for training the rural nursing workforce.
Author(s): Kyanna Harris, Hilary N. Touchett, Alexandra Caloudas, Kelley Arredondo
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3)
Date: 08/2026
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Rural Background, Training Exposure, and Rural Practice Location Among US Physicians
Research letter exploring the interdependence between recruiting students from rural backgrounds and providing exposure to rural settings during undergraduate and graduate medical education training. Uses data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) 2022 National Sample Survey of Physicians.
Author(s): Xiaochu Hu, Davis G. Patterson, Sarah S. Conrad, Qian Luo, Michael J. Dill
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(8), e2625481
Date: 08/2026
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Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: 2024
Highlights from the 2024 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), which provides single-year median household income and poverty statistics. Includes county-level maps showing income and poverty rates in 2024 and changes from 2023 to 2024 for the total population and children.
Additional links: Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: 2024 Report
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Unequal Paths to Care: How Region, Rurality, and Deprivation Determine Transport to Verified Trauma Centers among the Critically Injured
Examines the relationship among rurality, area deprivation index (ADI), and trauma center transport of critically injured patients. Utilizes 2018-2022 National Emergency Medical Services Information System data from 36,897,269 critically injured patients and analyzes rural versus urban transport to a trauma center, region of the country, and ADI.
Author(s): Amani Sampson, Edward Helderop, Tokoya Williams, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 196, 110232
Date: 08/2026
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Can Schools Detect Mild Hearing Loss? Evaluating Screening Accuracy and Feasibility
Examines the feasibility of accurate screening for mild hearing loss in rural Alaska. Analyzes results of screening 318 children with two pure-tone hearing screening levels and discusses the importance of accurate and reliable screening methods in rural schools.
Author(s): Samantha Kleindienst Robler, Jasmine Stewart, Christina Reaves, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 207, 112849
Date: 08/2026
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Young Adult Urbanicity, Late Midlife Neighborhood Disadvantage, and Cognitive Functioning in Community-Dwelling Older Men
Examines the impact of geography and neighborhood socioeconomics on cognitive function in older men. Analyzes data of cognitive performance from 881 community-dwelling men with additional breakdowns according to demographic variables, rural versus urban location, and area disadvantage index (ADI).
Author(s): Rongxiang Tang, Asad Beck, Daniel E Gustavson, et al.
Citation: The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 81(8)
Date: 08/2026
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Evaluating the Impact of a Multi-Year Produce Prescription Program on Fruit and Vegetable Intake, and Food Security in South Central New York
Examines the impact of a produce prescription (PRx) program focused on low-income residents with diet-related chronic diseases and living in rural New York counties. Utilizes 2022-2024 survey data from participants to analyze changes in fruit and vegetable intake, food security, health, and diet quality before and after engagement with the PRx program.
Author(s): Therese Martin Cheteu Wabo, Kate Miller-Corcoran, Erin Summerlee, Genevive R. Meredith
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 23, 101
Date: 07/2026
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Safe Minimum Nurse Staffing Requirements for Hospitals: Evidence from Pennsylvania
Explores the variation in nurse staffing ratios at 132 Pennsylvania hospitals in 2023. Examines whether medical-surgical nurse staffing ratios are associated with nurse job outcomes, patient clinical outcomes, and hospital costs. Compares findings by rural and urban hospital location. Describes the potential implications of minimum nurse staffing policies in Pennsylvania on nurses, patient care, and costs.
Author(s): K. Jane Muir, Linda H. Aiken, Heather Brom, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 64(7), 447-455
Date: 07/2026
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Rural Health Workforce Challenges and the Role of Networks
Describes the national rural health workforce shortage and challenges related to the recruitment and retention of healthcare providers in rural areas. Discusses strategies rural health networks can take to address workforce shortages, including health professions pipelines and a recruitment and retention framework.
Date: 07/2026
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Health Policy Center
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State Midwifery Full Practice Authority Policies and Midwife-Attended Births among Rural and Urban U.S. Residents
Analyzes how the implementation of state policies providing full practice authority to midwives was associated with the percentage of midwife-attended births in rural and urban areas between 2007 and 2023, using CDC WONDER data. Compares rates of midwife-attended births among states with and without full practice authority and those that passed policies during the study period.
Author(s): Clara E. Busse, Emily C. Sheffield, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Citation: Women's Health Issues, 36(5), 436-443
Date: 07/2026
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