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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Women

Prenatal Vitamin D Levels and Postpartum Hemorrhage in a Rural Alaska Cohort
Examines the relationship between vitamin D levels during pregnancy and postpartum bleeding in a rural, Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) population living in southwestern Alaska. Utilizes 2017-2019 data from 1,343 pregnancies to analyze levels of blood loss according to labor and delivery factors, obstetrics history, and pregnancy characteristics. Discusses strategies such as vitamin D supplementation and universal screening to address population health needs.
Author(s): Reinou S. Groen, Julie A. Beans, Gretchen Day, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 173(1), 403-410
Date: 04/2026
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Rural Health Transformation Program: State Focus on Maternal and Child Health
Describes maternal and child healthcare initiatives addressed in state Rural Health Transformation Program applications. Covers access to maternity care, the maternal health workforce, community-based behavioral health programs, technology-enabled strategies for maternal health, and more.
Author(s): Anoosha Hasan, Elliot Hill, Zack Gould
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Health Insurance Coverage and Rural–Urban Differences in Maternal Health Care Among Postpartum Women—National Health Interview Survey
Examines rural versus urban differences in health insurance coverage and postpartum healthcare. Utilizes 2013-2018 National Health Interview Survey data from 2,664 women and analyzes rural versus urban differences according to demographics, insurance type, sleep problems, acute care utilization, dissatisfaction with care, and delayed or forgone care.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Alyssa H. Fritz, Sara C. Handley, Clara E. Busse, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Birth Issues in Perinatal Care
Date: 03/2026
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Exploring Maternal Mental Health Conditions and Urban-Rural Disparities in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in South Carolina: A Fairlie Decomposition Approach
Examines the impact of maternal mental health on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in rural and urban areas of South Carolina. Utilizes data from 270,000 mothers with HDP to analyze maternal mental health conditions according to rural versus urban location, demographic variables, quality of prenatal care, mother's health condition, and more.
Author(s): Manan Roy, Maggie Sugg, Jennifer Runkle
Citation: Maternal and Child Health Journal
Date: 02/2026
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Association Between Social Determinants of Health and Cardiovascular Risk in Pregnant Women, United States
Examines the relationship between cardiovascular health (CVH) in pregnant women and the social determinants of health (SDOH). Utilizes 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey data and analyzes CVH risk according to patient demographics, health behaviors, social determinants, rural residence, and more.
Author(s): Shazia Shaukat, Jennifer Horney, Xiaopeng Ji, Christine Hoch, Lauren Covington
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 02/2026
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Patterns of Telehealth Use During Pregnancy and Postpartum Among Commercially Insured Women
Examines the use of telehealth among pregnant and postpartum women by rural versus urban location and type of service. Utilizes 2019-2021 data to examine telehealth visits by patient characteristics, predelivery versus postpartum use, service type, and rurality. Discusses the role of telehealth to access mental health services and differences between rural and urban telehealth use.
Author(s): Adit Doza, Lijing Ouyang, Donatus U. Ekwueme, et al.
Citation: Journal of Women's Health, 35(2)
Date: 02/2026
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Rural Sleep Health and Sleep Health Disparities among Children and Adults in the United States
Examines sleep health characteristics among rural populations in the United States. Utilizes 2020 and 2022 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze the sleep health of 1,429 children and 8,673 adults residing in nonmetro counties, focusing on demographic variables, socioeconomic variables, and sleep health.
Author(s): Symielle A. Gaston, Christopher W. Payne, William Braxton Jackson, II, Chandra L. Jackson
Citation: Sleep Health, 12(1), 39-51
Date: 02/2026
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Maternal Health Workforce Expansion and Local Childbirths
Results of a study to determine whether the National Health Service Corps's support of clinicians to work in Health Professional Shortage Areas has resulted in improved access to local childbirth care. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Yanlei Ma, Olesya Baker, Fang Zhang, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(2), e2556775
Date: 02/2026
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Bridging the Gap: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a New Rural Maternity Care Center Amid Nationwide Closures
Examines healthcare quality and access following the reopening of a maternity care center at a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in a rural community that experienced a maternity unit closure. Includes data comparisons of rural maternity care center (MCC) versus suburban tertiary care center patient demographics, delivery outcomes, and patient experiences. Discusses policy efforts to improve access to rural maternal health.
Author(s): Kathryn Wouk, Ellen Chetwynd, Emily C. Sheffield, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1),102
Date: 01/2026
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Molecular and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Inflammatory Breast Cancer in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study
Examines associations between the incidence of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and demographic and clinical factors, including rurality, utilizing Carolina Breast Cancer Study data of 153 cases of IBC.
Author(s): Qichen Wang, Sarah C. Van Alsten, Xiaojia Ji, et al.
Citation: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 215(2), 61
Date: 01/2026
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