Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data
School Nurses' Perceptions of Mental Health Responsibilities Within School Nursing Practice: A Q Methodology Study
Examines the perspectives of school nurses on addressing mental health needs of students in rural schools. Analyzes feedback from 70 school nurses working in eastern North Carolina on issues such as nursing responsibilities, mental health, suicide risk, crisis response, and more.
Author(s): Travis E. Lewis, Deby E. Tyndall, Mitzi C. Pestaner
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(10), e70242
Date: 10/2026
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Examines the perspectives of school nurses on addressing mental health needs of students in rural schools. Analyzes feedback from 70 school nurses working in eastern North Carolina on issues such as nursing responsibilities, mental health, suicide risk, crisis response, and more.
Author(s): Travis E. Lewis, Deby E. Tyndall, Mitzi C. Pestaner
Citation: Journal of School Health, 96(10), e70242
Date: 10/2026
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The Utility of Psychological Capital Theory in Rural Adolescent Mental Health Research
Explores the psychological capital (PsyCap), or one's sense of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism, and mental health among rural adolescents. Bases findings on a survey of 59 adolescents in rural Texas. Discusses the utility of PsyCap as a model for evaluating rural adolescent mental health.
Author(s): Angela J. Preston, Lynn Rew, Cara C. Young, John Lowe, Huaxin Song
Citation: Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31(4), 1374-1388
Date: 10/2026
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Explores the psychological capital (PsyCap), or one's sense of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism, and mental health among rural adolescents. Bases findings on a survey of 59 adolescents in rural Texas. Discusses the utility of PsyCap as a model for evaluating rural adolescent mental health.
Author(s): Angela J. Preston, Lynn Rew, Cara C. Young, John Lowe, Huaxin Song
Citation: Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 31(4), 1374-1388
Date: 10/2026
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The Financial Impact of Pregnancy and Childbirth Among Louisiana Medicaid Beneficiaries
Examines the relationship between pregnancy and financial health of women in Louisiana. Analyzes 2017-2020 Medicaid claims data and credit reports of 76,468 patients and provides breakdowns of credit scores, medical debt, and nonmedical debt by demographics, pregnancy status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Brigham Walker, Ethan Tsai, Andrew Anderson, Melissa Evans, Kevin Callison
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70166
Date: 10/2026
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Examines the relationship between pregnancy and financial health of women in Louisiana. Analyzes 2017-2020 Medicaid claims data and credit reports of 76,468 patients and provides breakdowns of credit scores, medical debt, and nonmedical debt by demographics, pregnancy status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Brigham Walker, Ethan Tsai, Andrew Anderson, Melissa Evans, Kevin Callison
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70166
Date: 10/2026
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Risk Adjustment in the Medicare Advantage Population Using Encounter Data
Examines the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) risk model by comparing 2016-2022 Traditional Medicare (TM) claims and Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data. Analyzes differences in the TM-based model and MA-based model and discusses risk-adjusted MA payment, MA payment policy, and enrollment incentives for various populations, including rural.
Author(s): Caroline S. Carlin, Roger Feldman, Jeah Jung
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70165
Date: 10/2026
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Examines the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) risk model by comparing 2016-2022 Traditional Medicare (TM) claims and Medicare Advantage (MA) encounter data. Analyzes differences in the TM-based model and MA-based model and discusses risk-adjusted MA payment, MA payment policy, and enrollment incentives for various populations, including rural.
Author(s): Caroline S. Carlin, Roger Feldman, Jeah Jung
Citation: Health Services Research, 61(5), e70165
Date: 10/2026
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Veterans Affairs Clinical Resource Hub Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Rural Veterans
Evaluates 627,436 telemental health service encounters over 5 years with rural veterans to determine the impact of 18 Clinical Resource Hubs on access to mental healthcare. Discusses how utilization of telemental health services increased over the 5 years, trends in modality types, and mental health diagnoses, in addition to other demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Erin Jaske, Chelle L. Wheat, Bradford Felker, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 32(10), 995-1002
Date: 10/2026
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Evaluates 627,436 telemental health service encounters over 5 years with rural veterans to determine the impact of 18 Clinical Resource Hubs on access to mental healthcare. Discusses how utilization of telemental health services increased over the 5 years, trends in modality types, and mental health diagnoses, in addition to other demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Erin Jaske, Chelle L. Wheat, Bradford Felker, et al.
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 32(10), 995-1002
Date: 10/2026
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Associations of Occupational Exposures on Environmental Allergies Among Farmers and Ranchers in the Central United States
Explores demographics and occupational exposures associated with allergies among farmers in 7 states. Notes public health implications based on study findings and highlights opportunities for further research.
Author(s): Alexandrea Welch, Cheryl Beseler, Yi Du, Shaun Cross, Risto H. Rautiainen
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 31(4), 530-540
Date: 10/2026
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Explores demographics and occupational exposures associated with allergies among farmers in 7 states. Notes public health implications based on study findings and highlights opportunities for further research.
Author(s): Alexandrea Welch, Cheryl Beseler, Yi Du, Shaun Cross, Risto H. Rautiainen
Citation: Journal of Agromedicine, 31(4), 530-540
Date: 10/2026
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Beneficiary and Clinician Perspectives on Medicare and Other Issues: Findings from 2026 Focus Groups in Select States, and 2021–2026 Rural Focus Groups
Summarizes findings from 21 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and June 2026, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 14 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2026. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, and prescription drugs.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Summarizes findings from 21 focus groups of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligible) beneficiaries, and clinicians conducted between May and June 2026, including one virtual focus group of rural Medicare beneficiaries. Compiles findings from 14 focus groups of rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2021 and 2026. Highlights themes that emerged across the focus groups covering Medicare coverage options, access to care, telehealth, and prescription drugs.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Community Characteristics Associated With Health System Penetration
Examines the relationship between community-level characteristics and health system penetration. Analyzes the geographic healthcare market using 2020 Commuting Zones (CZs) and provides 2016-2023 data on health system penetration according to solo-hospital zones, multi-hospital zones, community sociodemographics, rurality, and region. Includes U.S. maps showing distribution of health system penetration by CZ in 2016 and 2023.
Author(s): Haoyu Bi, Mark Louie Ramos, Jeannette A. Rogowski, Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Medical Care Research and Review, 83(6)
Date: 09/2026
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Examines the relationship between community-level characteristics and health system penetration. Analyzes the geographic healthcare market using 2020 Commuting Zones (CZs) and provides 2016-2023 data on health system penetration according to solo-hospital zones, multi-hospital zones, community sociodemographics, rurality, and region. Includes U.S. maps showing distribution of health system penetration by CZ in 2016 and 2023.
Author(s): Haoyu Bi, Mark Louie Ramos, Jeannette A. Rogowski, Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Medical Care Research and Review, 83(6)
Date: 09/2026
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2026 Maine Healthcare Occupations Report
Data and analysis of the Maine healthcare workforce. Includes demographics and workforce distribution by county. Features numbers of healthcare workers in various occupations as of 2025 and projected need by 2034.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Workforce Research and Information, Maine Department of Labor
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Data and analysis of the Maine healthcare workforce. Includes demographics and workforce distribution by county. Features numbers of healthcare workers in various occupations as of 2025 and projected need by 2034.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Workforce Research and Information, Maine Department of Labor
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Tennessee Suicide Prevention 2026 Annual Report
Summarizes suicide surveillance and programmatic data collected by the Tennessee Department of Health. Identifies strategies and best practices for the prevention of deaths by suicide. Features statistics including rates of suicide among residents of rural and urban Tennessee counties in 2024.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Summarizes suicide surveillance and programmatic data collected by the Tennessee Department of Health. Identifies strategies and best practices for the prevention of deaths by suicide. Features statistics including rates of suicide among residents of rural and urban Tennessee counties in 2024.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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