This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention

Strengthening Federal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Programs: Opportunities, Challenges, and Emerging Issues
Presents a full committee hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discussing the current state of federal mental health and substance use disorder programs. Features testimonies from representatives of the Heath Resources and Services Administration, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Additional links: Carole Johnson Testimony, Joshua A. Gordon Testimony, Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon Testimony, Nora D. Volkow Testimony
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
view details
Healthy Alaskans 2030: State Health Improvement Plan
Provides an overview of the statewide health improvement plan and details the 30 health objectives to be met by 2030. Highlights objectives related to mental health, chronic disease incidence, healthcare access, disparities, and social determinants of health, among others.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Alaska Department of Health, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
view details
Implementing Community-Based Prostate Cancer Education in Rural South Carolina: A Collaborative Approach through a Statewide Cancer Alliance
Surveyed 40 primarily African American men in rural South Carolina to determine impact of a community-based prostate health education program. Discusses the effectiveness of community-based education in rural communities.
Author(s): Catherine Troy, Ashley Brunson, Andrew Goldsmith, et al
Citation: Journal of Cancer Education
Date: 02/2022
view details
Comparing Smoking Cessation Interventions among Underserved Patients Referred for Lung Cancer Screening: A Pragmatic Trial Protocol
Presents a study comparing four different smoking cessation support programs offered in tandem with lung cancer screening for underserved patients. Evaluates each intervention offered to Black, Latinx, and rural patients and draws conclusions based on outcomes.
Author(s): Rachel Kohn, Anil Vachani, Dylan Small, et al.
Citation: Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 19(2), 303-314
Date: 02/2022
view details
Rural Children's Health and Health Care
Examines differences in child health conditions by rural and urban residency. Explores differences in use of preventative dental and medical services by poverty rate, adverse childhood experiences, overweight and obesity, food insecurity, and physical activity.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
view details
Case Studies of Communities of Less Than 10,000 People with Bicycle & Pedestrian Infrastructure
Examines the availability of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in rural communities in the U.S. based on a sample of 5 states that represent the different regions of the U.S.: Northeast, North Central, South-Gulf, South-Atlantic, and the West. Discusses the health and community benefits of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, issues of maintaining infrastructure, and ways to engage communities in planning based on survey and interview data.
Author(s): Natalie Villwock-Witte, Karalyn Clouser
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Western Transportation Institute
view details
Evaluation of the Million HeartsĀ® Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model: Fourth Annual Report
Evaluates the first four years of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Million Hearts Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Model to determine whether, and how, it reduces first-time strokes, heart attacks, and Medicare spending. Covers participant characteristics, including rural or urban status and organization type; implementation of the model; changes in cardiovascular disease risk scores among high-risk beneficiaries; intermediate- and long-term impacts on beneficiaries; and the relevance of these findings to other research on cardiovascular disease prevention.
Author(s): Greg Peterson, Alli Steiner, Rhea Powell, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mathematica
view details
Strategies and Interventions to Reduce Suicide: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes insights from a two-part virtual public workshop focused on suicide prevention interventions. Includes discussion of suicide trends for specific populations. Addresses a wide range of strategies and approaches to meet the needs of different groups, including rural and tribal populations.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial for a Multi-Level, Clinic-Based Smoking Cessation Program with Women in Appalachian Communities: Study Protocol for the "Break Free" Program
Results of a study to increase smoking cessation among women living in rural Appalachia, by embedding a smoking cessation program within a larger cervical cancer prevention program. Uses data from focus groups comprising 510 women from West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia.
Author(s): Joanne G. Patterson, Tia N. Borger, Jessica L. Burris, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 17(11)
Date: 02/2022
view details
Racial Disparities in Cancer Outcomes, Screening, and Treatment
Presents an overview of data on cancer incidence and mortality, risk factors, screening, treatment, and outcomes by race and ethnicity. Discusses factors contributing to racial cancer disparities, including inequities in health coverage and access to care, and social and economic factors, among others. Includes data on cancer disparities in rural communities.
Author(s): Michelle Tong, Latoya Hill, Samantha Artiga
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: KFF
view details