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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

A Case Study: Organizational and Environmental Factors Associated with Alabama Rural Hospitals' Reported Levels of Financial Distress
Examines organizational and environmental factors related to rural hospitals in Alabama experiencing financial distress. Uses the Altman Z-Score to predict financial distress and considers the number of physicians in the county; hospital ownership, age, and size; and the county-level population, age, and income in the analysis.
Author(s): Dennis O. McCay, Nancy Borkowski, Larry Hearld, et al.
Citation: Journal of Health Care Finance, 45(4), 1-24
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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Systemic Overuse of Health Care in a Commercially Insured US Population, 2010-2015
Examines geographic variation in systemic overuse of health care, using commercial insurance claims data from 375 metropolitan areas and 47 rural regions. Features statistics with breakdowns by overuse indicators, and U.S. maps showing regional variations in overuse.
Author(s): Allison H. Oakes, Hsien-Yen Chang, Jodi B. Segal
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 19, 280
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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2018 National Survey of Health Attitudes: Description and Top-Line Summary Data
Results of a survey designed to provide insight into how people in the U.S. think about, value, and prioritize health and issues of health equity. Appendix A shows survey results comparing populations by city size, with breakdowns by rural areas, small towns, midsized cities, and large cities, and Appendix B features statistics comparing urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Appendix A: Survey Results Comparing Populations by City Size, Appendix B: Survey Results Comparing Urban and Rural Populations
Author(s): Katherine Grace Carman, Anita Chandra, Sarah Weilant, Carolyn Miller, Margaret Tait
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: RAND Corporation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Comparing Buprenorphine-Prescribing Physicians Across Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas in the United States
Highlights a study comparing buprenorphine prescribing rates between metro and nonmetro areas. Looks at physician treatment practices, characteristics, and practice location.
Author(s): Lewei (Allison) Lin, Hannah K. Knudsen
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 17(3), 212-220
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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Poverty, Urban-Rural Classification and Term Infant Mortality: A Population-Based Multilevel Analysis
Determines the association between county poverty and rurality with term infant mortality by analyzing 2013 birth-infant death data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Includes county poverty statistics by rural and urban residence, maternal characteristics, and health and obstetric characteristics.
Author(s): Yousra A. Mohamoud, Russell S. Kirby, Deborah B. Ehrenthal
Citation: BMC Pregnancy & Childbirth, 19, 40
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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Serum Cotinine Versus Parent Reported Measures of Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Rural Appalachian Children
Highlights a study of secondhand smoke exposure in Appalachian children. Features data collected from children aged 7-9 and compares rates to national and Appalachian-state rates.
Author(s): Samrat Yeramaneni, Kimberly Yolton, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Kim N. Dietrich, Erin N. Haynes
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 1(1), 15-26
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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The Social Determinants of Health and the Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy: Implications for Appalachia
Study explores life expectancy in the U.S. and compares these trends to those in Appalachia. Looks at social determinants of health such as substance use, injuries, and suicide, among others, as possible contributing factors.
Author(s): Steven H. Woolf, Heidi Schoomaker, Latoya Hill, Christine M. Orndahl
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 1(1), 6-14
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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The Poverty-Reducing Effect of Five Key Government Programs in Rural and Urban America
Examines rural and urban residents' income from five social programs: Social Security, disability benefits, federal and state cash assistance, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Looks at the role of these programs in reducing poverty and reports how much poverty would increase in rural and urban areas without each program.
Author(s): Jessica Carson Marybeth Mattingly
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Deconstructing the Digital Divide: Identifying the Supply and Demand Factors That Drive Internet Subscription Rates
Provides discussion and analysis on the factors influencing broadband subscription rates, including information based on service availability and community attributes. Describes rural specific examples and contexts throughout.
Author(s): Michael J. R. Martin
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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The Ecology of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Summarizes results from an 8-state study of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal condition that may occur in newborns exposed to opioids during pregnancy. Discusses correlations to rurality, unemployment rates, poverty, and the supply of healthcare providers, and identifies potential policy interventions that could help. For interactive, county-level data, see the Simulation of County Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Rates Tool based on study findings.
Additional links: Simulation of County Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) Rates Tool
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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