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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

Meditation and Wellbeing: A National Survey of Metro / Nonmetro Adults, Quinquagenarian to Nonagenarian
Examines the practice of meditation in metro versus nonmetro populations aged 50 and older. Utilizes data from a national 2023 AARP Meditation Survey to track meditation practices, beliefs, awareness, and more, according to respondent demographic information and geographic location.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Chronic Pain Prevalence and Trends in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Areas among American Adults Aged 55+, 1998–2022
Compares the prevalence of chronic pain and associated trends in rural, suburban, and urban areas among adults aged 55 and older, utilizing 1998-2022 Health and Retirement Study data.
Author(s): Yulin Yang, Feinuo Sun, Zachary Zimmer, et al.
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 385, 118625
Date: 10/2025
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Physician Recruitment and Retention in an Underserved Community: The Role of a Premedical Research Program
Discusses physician shortages in rural and medically underserved areas and discusses the impact of the Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH) Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) to provide clinical and research experiences to pre-medical students in Hawaii. Analyzes 393 SSRP alumni experiences from 1986-2023 according to medical school admission, residency, practice location, and more. Discusses the importance of community-level programs to improve recruitment and retention of the local healthcare workforce.
Author(s): Lily Johnson, Kirra Borrello, Justin Abe, et al.
Citation: BMC Medical Education, 25, 1441
Date: 10/2025
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Healthcare Access and Health Related Quality of Life of New Mexican Adults: Results from the 2023 New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Reports on healthcare access and health-related quality of life in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data. Covers topics including self-reported quality of mental and physical health, health insurance coverage, routine healthcare check-ups, flu vaccination among older adults, and likelihood of having a personal healthcare provider. Provides data breakdowns for each topic by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Health Behaviors and Injury among New Mexican Adults: Results from the 2023 New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
Reports on health behaviors and injuries in New Mexico using New Mexico Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (NM BRFSS) data, covering topics including alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use, physical activity, firearm safety, seatbelt use, suicidal ideation, sexual violence, and fall injuries. Provides data breakdowns for each topic by level of rurality and other demographics.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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Impact of Scope of Practice Laws for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists on the Utilization of Anesthesia Services
Examines scope of practice laws (SOPLs) for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SOPLs. Utilizes 2018-2022 national administrative claims data to examine anesthesia providers by rurality, utilization rate of anesthesia procedures, and utilization of anesthesia procedures by SOPL changes and county underserved status, defined by density of available anesthesia providers. Discusses the impact of SOPLs on access to anesthesia services.
Author(s): Projesh P. Ghosh, Wafa W. Tarazi, Nwanneamaka Ume, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research
Date: 10/2025
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New Mexico Selected Health Statistics Annual Report 2023
Provides health statistics for the state of New Mexico. Includes county-level data on births and deaths.
Author(s): Jessica Winberg, Kenneth Geter, Ian Ramdeen
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: New Mexico Department of Health
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The New Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Program: Will It Improve Access to Care for Rural Americans?
Discusses rural hospital closures and the potential impact of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Provides U.S. maps showing Medicaid Expansion states and rural hospital closures as well as data specific to REHs in Texas.
Author(s): Suzanne B. Daly, Wei You, Elizabeth I. Merwin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4)
Date: 10/2025
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Utilization of Home- and Community-Based Services among Rural Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: The Role of the Area Deprivation Index
Examines the association between utilization of home- and community-based services and area-level factors as measured by the Area Deprivation Index, utilizing survey data of 361 rural family caregivers of people with dementia. Analyzes the relationship between home or community service use and level of area deprivation, U.S. region, and other individual factors.
Author(s): Jasmine Santoyo-Olsson, Kenneth E. Covinsky, Jing Cheng, Dolores Gallagher Thompson, Veronica Yank
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13, 1688161
Date: 10/2025
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2025 Arkansas State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup: Annual Profile of Substance Use
Provides information on youth and adult substance abuse in Arkansas to help guide substance abuse prevention decision-making. Highlights consequences such as arrests, suicide, and depression and focuses on alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and prescription drug use. Includes county-level profiles and an overview of a variety of community and personal health indicators.
Additional links: County Report
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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