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Rural Health Information Hub

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

Integrating Responses to the Opioid Use Disorder and Infectious Disease Epidemics
Highlights the epidemic of infectious diseases co-occurring with opioid use disorder and the need for integrated treatment. Discusses barriers. such as workforce training, payment, and data sharing, among others. Includes suggestions for rural areas.
Author(s): Sandra A. Springer, Andrew P. Merluzzi, Carlos del Rio
Citation: JAMA, 324(1), 37-38
Date: 07/2020
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Estimated County-Level Prevalence of Selected Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Increased Risk for Severe COVID-19 Illness — United States, 2018
Reports on the estimated number and proportion of people with certain underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for severe COVID-19. Provides county-level maps with data on adults with any of these conditions: chronic respiratory conditions, heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or obesity. Also discusses the prevalence of underlying conditions in rural counties.
Author(s): Hilda Razzaghi, Yan Wang, Hua Lu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(29), 945-950
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Engaging With Communities - Lessons (Re)Learned From COVID-19
Discusses health status in the U.S. and offers recommendations for community engagement and partnerships in public health to achieve and maintain improved health outcomes. Offers examples of community, local health department, and other partner's efforts to respond to COVID-19, including activities implemented in tribal and rural settings.
Author(s): Lloyd Michener, Sergio Aguilar-Gaxiola, Philip Alberti, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 07/2020
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America at a Glance: COVID-19 and Disability in Rural Areas
Summarizes results of a survey conducted between April-May 2020 exploring rural and urban differences in COVID-19 health risks, adherence to public health recommendations, and trust in different information sources among individuals with disabilities. Includes recommendations for how to better communicate health information to at-risk populations.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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Effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Among American Indians and Alaska Natives
Uses data on participants from 3 tribally operated healthcare clinics in rural areas to study whether direct mailing of fecal immunochemical test kits is effective in increasing colorectal cancer screening among American Indians and Alaska Natives.
Author(s): Donald Haverkamp, Kevin English, Jasmine Jacobs-Wingo, Amanda Tjemsland, David Espey
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 07/2020
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Update: COVID-19 Among Workers in Meat and Poultry Processing Facilities ― United States, April-May 2020
Provides data from 28 states on the number of meat and poultry processing facilities affected by COVID-19, characteristics of affected workers, and COVID-19–associated deaths among workers. Data on cases and deaths through May 31, 2020 were obtained from 239 affected facilities. Also describes interventions and prevention efforts at these facilities.
Author(s): Michelle A. Waltenburg, Tristan Victoroff, Charles E. Rose, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(27), 887-892
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Pennsylvania Hospital Transitions HRSA-Funded Program to Online Services and Addresses COVID-19 Stress
Features Butler Memorial Hospital and how it adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights the switch to online delivery for a chronic disease project funded by a HRSA Rural Health Care Services Outreach grant. Also describes initiatives to address healthcare workforce stress, help patients use tablets to visit with loved ones, and distribute healthy food to the community.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Supporting the Health and Wellbeing of Middle-Aged Adults Living Alone in Rural Counties
Results of a study exploring the characteristics of adults ages 35-64 who live alone, and the heightened health risks and challenges related to social isolation, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Uses data from a survey of 14 healthcare providers in rural counties with a high percentage of middle-aged adults living alone. Features a county-level map with breakdowns by percentage of people living alone in rural areas.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Mariana Tuttle, Ashley Hernandez, Jonathan Schroeder, Katy Kozhimannil
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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COVID-19 Testing & Testing Related Activities with CDC Experts
Recording of a June 4, 2020, webinar providing detailed information about testing for COVID-19 for Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Discusses specimen collections and handling, patient priority for testing, antibody testing, and interpreting viral and antibody COVID-19 test results. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Community-based Program to Increase Use of Hearing Conservation Practices among Farm and Rural Youth: A Cluster Randomized Trial of Effectiveness
Examines the effectiveness of two interventions regarding knowledge and attitudes toward hearing conservation among farm and rural youth. Discusses the prevalence of hearing loss among farmworkers and the risks of exposure to farm noise from an early age.
Author(s): Marjorie C. McCullagh, James J. Yang, Michael A. Cohen
Citation: BMC Public Health, 20(1), 847
Date: 06/2020
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