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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: The South

Prevalence of Self-Reported Hypertension and Antihypertensive Medication Use by County and Rural-Urban Classification — United States, 2017
Examines self-reported prevalence of diagnosed hypertension and antihypertensive medication use. Includes data for metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore (rural) areas. Also discusses geographic trends at the county level, with maps showing county-level hypertension prevalence and medication use. Highlights higher prevalence of hypertension in the Southeast, Appalachia, and the Great Plains.
Author(s): Claudine M. Samanic, Kamil E. Barbour, Yong Liu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(18), 533-539
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Hospital Access in the Fifth District and COVID-19
Examines hospital access in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Discusses concerns raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and provides state- and county-level statistics and data on number of hospital beds per capita, average distance to nearest hospitals, and more.
Author(s): Surekha Carpenter, Tim Sablik
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
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Highest U.S. Poverty Rates Are in the South, with over 20 Percent Poor in Its Rural Areas
Bar chart showing rural and urban poverty rates by region for the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West, based on data from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey.
Date: 03/2020
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Bringing Palliative Care To Underserved Rural Communities
Discusses challenges and strategies related to providing palliative care to rural, predominantly Black communities in the South. Focuses on bridging cultural divides and integrating patient spirituality into the healthcare process.
Author(s): Charlotte Huff
Citation: Health Affairs, 38(12)
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
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Mortality-to-Incidence Ratios by U.S. Congressional District: Implications for Epidemiologic, Dissemination and Implementation Research, and Public Health Policy
Analyzes congressional district-specific mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIR) between 2011 and 2015 for all cancers and for cancers of breast, cervix, colorectal, esophagus, lung, oral, pancreas, and prostate cancers. Compares MIRs across regions, state Medicaid expansion status, race, and rurality. Discusses implications for policymakers and researchers.
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Whitney E. Zahnd, Swann Arp Adams, et al.
Citation: Preventative Medicine, 129(S), 105849
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
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Prevalence and Mortality of Heart Disease and Related Conditions: Disparities Affecting the South, Rural Areas, and American Indian and Alaska Natives
Policy brief describing trends in the prevalence of stroke, angina or coronary heart disease, and heart attack from 2011-2015, and assessing trends in mortality for heart disease and associated conditions from 2006-2016. Explores whether disease-related mortality and prevalence of disease varied across region, rurality, and time period. Features statistics including mortality from congestive heart failure, stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and ischemic heart disease in 2016, with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Author(s): Samuel D. Towne, Jr., Timothy H. Callaghan, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Rural Hospitals: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
Describes the conditions facing rural hospitals and their communities contributing to the high rate of rural hospital closure. Discusses state and federal legislation, policies, and programs developed to support rural hospitals. Provides data for 15 Southern states including their state and rural populations, percentage of population uninsured, Medicaid expansion status, percentage at high financial risk, and number of rural hospital closures.
Author(s): Nick Bowman
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southern Legislative Conference of The Council of State Governments
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HIV in the Southern United States
Issue brief discussing the HIV epidemic in the South. Highlights the increased number of new HIV diagnoses in suburban and rural areas of the South compared to other regions in the U.S. Covers factors contributing to the HIV epidemic in the South and includes information on how to address these issues in rural communities.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The State of Latino Housing, Transportation, and Green Space: A Research Review
Highlights programs and policies that may improve neighborhood health equity in U.S. Latino communities. Discusses Latino migration to rural areas in the South and Midwest and the need for affordable housing and green space policies to promote health and wellbeing.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Salud America
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Influencing Cardiovascular Health Habits in the Rural, Deep South: Results of a Cluster Randomized Trial
Study examining public health interventions through churches to address cardiovascular disease (CVD) among African American adults in the rural South. Describes risk factors for CVD, social determinants of health, and CVD disparities in rural and African American communities. Analyzes sociodemographic and health data for 229 participants in a health promotion study.
Author(s): Laurie S. Abbott, Elizabeth H. Slate, Jennifer L. Lemacks
Citation: Health Education Research, 34(2), 200-208
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
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