Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention
America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2025
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 55 measures using data from 24 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health disparities, including rural-urban disparities, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: Executive Brief, Risk of Social Isolation County-Level Maps, State Summaries
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 55 measures using data from 24 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health disparities, including rural-urban disparities, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: Executive Brief, Risk of Social Isolation County-Level Maps, State Summaries
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Practical Ways to Implement The 2022 CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain among American Indian and Alaska Native Patients
Report presents strategies for adapting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2022 opioid prescribing guidelines for application in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Discusses methods for clinicians to speak with AI/AN patients about pain and the options available to them.
Author(s): Myra Parker, Kase Cragg, Jacob Fong-Gurzinsky, et al.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Seven Directions - A Center for Indigenous Public Health
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Report presents strategies for adapting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2022 opioid prescribing guidelines for application in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Discusses methods for clinicians to speak with AI/AN patients about pain and the options available to them.
Author(s): Myra Parker, Kase Cragg, Jacob Fong-Gurzinsky, et al.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Seven Directions - A Center for Indigenous Public Health
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Relevance and Acceptability of a Technology-Delivered Childhood Obesity Intervention for Hispanic/Latino Families in Rural Nebraska: A Qualitative Approach
Examines program strengths and challenges, implementation concerns, and cultural relevance of Hispanic Family Connections, a Spanish-language childhood obesity intervention for Latino families in rural Nebraska, via focus group interviews with 26 participants.
Author(s): Thais F. Alves, Natalia Santos, Camila Squarcini, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 05/2025
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Examines program strengths and challenges, implementation concerns, and cultural relevance of Hispanic Family Connections, a Spanish-language childhood obesity intervention for Latino families in rural Nebraska, via focus group interviews with 26 participants.
Author(s): Thais F. Alves, Natalia Santos, Camila Squarcini, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 05/2025
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Evaluating Nature-Based Versus Generic Physical Activity Programs to Address Chronic Health Conditions: Lessons from an Oregon (USA) Pilot Study
Describes the design, implementation, and results of a "nature prescription" program for patients with chronic health conditions in 2 rural Oregon clinics. Discusses recruitment strategies, participant engagement, burdens on clinics, and more. Highlights lessons learned and recommendations for research design in similar studies.
Author(s): Randall Bluffstone, Ma Chan, Cort Cox, et al.
Citation: Forests, 16(5)
Date: 05/2025
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Describes the design, implementation, and results of a "nature prescription" program for patients with chronic health conditions in 2 rural Oregon clinics. Discusses recruitment strategies, participant engagement, burdens on clinics, and more. Highlights lessons learned and recommendations for research design in similar studies.
Author(s): Randall Bluffstone, Ma Chan, Cort Cox, et al.
Citation: Forests, 16(5)
Date: 05/2025
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Developing an Implementation Fidelity Measure for a Family Healthy Weight Program
Examines strategies to conduct a direct observation method to measure implementation fidelity in a micropolitan/rural community-based family healthy weight program (FHWP). Discusses the process of hiring and training community members as direct observers, utility and quality of this methodology, and potential usefulness of developing an implementation fidelity measure for assessing future programs in rural or geographically dispersed areas.
Author(s): Caitlin A. Golden, Paul A. Estabrooks, Kate A. Heelan, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 22, 53
Date: 05/2025
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Examines strategies to conduct a direct observation method to measure implementation fidelity in a micropolitan/rural community-based family healthy weight program (FHWP). Discusses the process of hiring and training community members as direct observers, utility and quality of this methodology, and potential usefulness of developing an implementation fidelity measure for assessing future programs in rural or geographically dispersed areas.
Author(s): Caitlin A. Golden, Paul A. Estabrooks, Kate A. Heelan, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 22, 53
Date: 05/2025
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Financial Health and Well-Being of Rural Female Caregivers of Older Adults with Chronic Illnesses
Examines the financial burdens of female caregivers living in rural areas. Provides interview feedback from 20 women caring for older adults with chronic illnesses, focusing on themes such as gender role imbalances, financial pressures, stress, time constraints, and more.
Author(s): Nasreen Lalani, Evans Appiah Osei, Siqi Yang, Bhagyashree Katare, Sampada Wagle
Citation: BMC Geriatrics, 25, 239
Date: 04/2025
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Examines the financial burdens of female caregivers living in rural areas. Provides interview feedback from 20 women caring for older adults with chronic illnesses, focusing on themes such as gender role imbalances, financial pressures, stress, time constraints, and more.
Author(s): Nasreen Lalani, Evans Appiah Osei, Siqi Yang, Bhagyashree Katare, Sampada Wagle
Citation: BMC Geriatrics, 25, 239
Date: 04/2025
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Resilient, Engaged and Connected (REC) Study: Protocol for a Type 2 Cluster-Randomised Trial of the Chicago Parent Program in Prekindergarten in Low-Income Urban and Rural Communities
Provides an overview of a intervention that aims to improve social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) readiness in pre-kindergarten (PreK) children by supporting and engaging low-income parents. Utilizes a mixed methods study design to examine PreK readiness in rural and urban children in Maryland when implementing an evidence-based SEB parenting program.
Author(s): Deborah Gross, Susan M. Breitenstein, Lieny Jeon, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 15(4)
Date: 04/2025
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Provides an overview of a intervention that aims to improve social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) readiness in pre-kindergarten (PreK) children by supporting and engaging low-income parents. Utilizes a mixed methods study design to examine PreK readiness in rural and urban children in Maryland when implementing an evidence-based SEB parenting program.
Author(s): Deborah Gross, Susan M. Breitenstein, Lieny Jeon, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 15(4)
Date: 04/2025
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Delivering Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care: Environmental Scan
Report provides a literature review and interviews with key informants to outline the opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment environment and make policy recommendations. Discusses how changes to regulations have affected access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), how the opioid use environment has changed, and what models and evidence-based tools exist to facilitate OUD treatment, among other issues.
Author(s): Collette Sosnowy, Danielle Durant, Garrett Moran, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Report provides a literature review and interviews with key informants to outline the opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment environment and make policy recommendations. Discusses how changes to regulations have affected access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), how the opioid use environment has changed, and what models and evidence-based tools exist to facilitate OUD treatment, among other issues.
Author(s): Collette Sosnowy, Danielle Durant, Garrett Moran, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Ready or Not 2025: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Report explores the readiness of state public health systems to respond to emergencies, such as diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism. Focuses on measures such as hospital safety scores, vaccination rates, and water system maintenance, among others. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Rhea K. Farberman, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Report explores the readiness of state public health systems to respond to emergencies, such as diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism. Focuses on measures such as hospital safety scores, vaccination rates, and water system maintenance, among others. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Rhea K. Farberman, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Epidemiology of 911 Calls for Opioid Overdose in Nogales, Arizona
Presents a study reviewing the 911 calls pertaining to opioid overdose in the Nogales, AZ area. Details the prehospital care received in the rural, borderland community and evaluates EMS's adherence to naloxone distribution protocol.
Author(s): Melody Glenn, Darien Stratton, Keith Primeau, Amber Rice
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 26(3)
Date: 03/2025
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Presents a study reviewing the 911 calls pertaining to opioid overdose in the Nogales, AZ area. Details the prehospital care received in the rural, borderland community and evaluates EMS's adherence to naloxone distribution protocol.
Author(s): Melody Glenn, Darien Stratton, Keith Primeau, Amber Rice
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 26(3)
Date: 03/2025
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