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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: The South

Less Internet Access Available for Rural Residents in Counties with Persistent Poverty in the U.S. Deep South and Southwest
County-level map depicting internet availability and persistent poverty counties, distinguishing rural and urban counties. Chart based on USDA Economic Research Service calculations and Federal Communications Commission Form 477 Broadband Deployment data.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Preparing Health Professions Students to Serve Southern Rural Communities in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond: A Model for Interprofessional Online Telehealth Education
Describes a model for online telehealth interprofessional education (IPE) designed to meet the needs of rural communities in the South. Offers an overview of the program's design and implementation and highlights lessons learned related to training fundamentals, staffing and planning, faculty involvement, technology concerns, and Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, and more.
Author(s): Teri Browne, Selina H. McKinney, Lauren Duck, et al.
Citation: Southern Medical Journal, 114(10), 665-667
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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HIV/AIDS in the U.S. Deep South: Trends from 2008-2019
Report examining disparities in HIV/AIDS diagnosis rates, mortality, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use, federal funding, demographics, and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the South, including rural HIV disparities.
Author(s): Susan S. Reif, Haley Cooper, Molly Warren, Elena Wilson
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Health Policy and Inequalities Research, Duke Global Health Institute, Southern AIDS Coalition
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Rural Counties With High and Persistent Poverty in 2019 Were Mostly Located Across the South
County-level map showing distribution of 310 rural counties with high and persistent levels of poverty according to 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data.
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Association of the Neighborhood Built Environment with Incident and Prevalent Depression in the Rural South
Shares the results of a study examining if the built environment is associated with depression for residents living in Washington Parish, Louisiana in the rural South. Examines if observed associations between rural built environments and depression can be mitigated by physical activity. Table 1 details the demographic characteristics of the rural study population.
Author(s): Christopher E. Anderson, Stephanie T. Broyles, Maeve E. Wallace, Lydia A. Bazzano, Jeanette Gustat
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 18, 200605
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
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Rural Hospital Closings in Southern States
Interactive map depicting 59 rural hospital closures from January 2012 - July 2021 in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Uses data from the North Carolina Health Research Program.
Date: 07/2021
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
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Evolving Roles of Rural Hospitals: Evidence from Pandemic Experiences
Slides presented at the 2021 Southern Legislative Conference annual meeting. Presents data on the spread of COVID-19 in rural communities over time and compares confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 deaths in urban and rural counties in the southern states. Highlights how state policies can invest in and support rural hospitals.
Date: 07/2021
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
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Agricultural Stakeholders' Perceptions of Occupational Health and Safety in the Southeastern U.S. Coastal States
Highlights the perception of eleven agricultural professionals in the southeast on the current state of agricultural health and safety. Discusses a number of factors affecting health and safety of agricultural workers, such as healthcare access, economic and labor issues, and cultural competency, among others. Features information pertaining to worker safety during COVID-19.
Author(s): Tracy Irani, Beatrice Fenelon Pierre, Tyler S. Nesbit
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), 6605
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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Cancer-Related Beliefs and Preventive Health Practices among Residents of Rural Versus Urban Counties in Alabama
Examines rural-urban differences in cancer-related beliefs and lifestyle practices based on data from 671 rural- and 183 urban-county respondents in Alabama. Includes statistics broken down by age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, employment status, income, access to the internet, and more. Discusses health disparities in the Deep South.
Author(s): Salma Aly, Casey L. Daniel, Sejong Bae, et al.
Citation: Cancer Prevention Research, 14(5), 593-602
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
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The Role of Public Health in COVID-19 Emergency Response Efforts From a Rural Health Perspective
Examines the difficulties rural communities face in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the southeastern region of the U.S. Discusses the COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index, a tool that analyzes epidemiological factors, socioeconomic status, and other indicators to determine which communities are at an increased risk of COVID-19.
Author(s): Sandra Melvin, Corey Wiggins, Nakeitra Burse, Erica Thompson, Mauda Monger
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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