Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Women
"This Is What I Acquired in the Military, I Want to Keep It at the VA": Healthcare Perspectives and Preferences among Rural American Indian/Alaska Native Women Veterans
Explores ways to improve healthcare access and outcomes for rural American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women veterans. Bases findings of listening sessions with 43 AI/AN veteran women on their experiences accessing healthcare from both the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS).
Author(s): Mary K. Good, Daniel D. Ball, B. Josea Kramer, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70177
Date: 06/2026
view details
Explores ways to improve healthcare access and outcomes for rural American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women veterans. Bases findings of listening sessions with 43 AI/AN veteran women on their experiences accessing healthcare from both the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS).
Author(s): Mary K. Good, Daniel D. Ball, B. Josea Kramer, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70177
Date: 06/2026
view details
Beyond Maternal Mortality: How Severe Morbidity Reveals Policy Gaps in Maternal Care
Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
view details
Provides information about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in the United States across sociodemographic groups and discusses possible policy interventions, including rural-specific strategies. Examines data on SMM with data broken down by year, state, medical condition, patient demographics, cost of delivery, insurance type, rurality, and hospital type of metro non-teaching, metro teaching, or rural.
Author(s): Eugene Declercq, Laurie C. Zephyrin
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
view details
A National Virtual Peer Support Group for Women Veterans Living with Breast Cancer: Lessons from the Field
Discusses implementation and findings from a Veterans Health Administration virtual peer support specialist-led support group for women veterans with breast cancer. Discusses experiences of rural program participants.
Author(s): Jenny K. Cohen, Kara Zamora-Rogoski, Caitlin L. McLean, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(6), 817
Date: 06/2026
view details
Discusses implementation and findings from a Veterans Health Administration virtual peer support specialist-led support group for women veterans with breast cancer. Discusses experiences of rural program participants.
Author(s): Jenny K. Cohen, Kara Zamora-Rogoski, Caitlin L. McLean, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(6), 817
Date: 06/2026
view details
Rural Female Veterans' Experiences of VA Care and a VA Telehealth Outreach Program
Explores the experiences of rural veteran women utilizing the Veterans Affairs (VA) Care and the Boost Program, a VA telehealth outreach program. Bases findings on semi-structured interviews exploring the accessibility of female-specific healthcare provided by the VA and the efficacy of the Boost Program.
Author(s): Kara A. Zamora-Rogoski, Caitlin L. McLean, Mariam Jacob, et al.
Citation: BMC Women's Health, 26, 316
Date: 06/2026
view details
Explores the experiences of rural veteran women utilizing the Veterans Affairs (VA) Care and the Boost Program, a VA telehealth outreach program. Bases findings on semi-structured interviews exploring the accessibility of female-specific healthcare provided by the VA and the efficacy of the Boost Program.
Author(s): Kara A. Zamora-Rogoski, Caitlin L. McLean, Mariam Jacob, et al.
Citation: BMC Women's Health, 26, 316
Date: 06/2026
view details
Endocrine-Disrupting Pesticides and Breast Cancer Incidence in the United States: An Ecological Analysis
Examines associations between endocrine-disrupting pesticide usage and breast cancer incidence at the county level, using 2001-2015 U.S. Geological Survey Pesticide National Synthesis Project and 2016-2020 NCI State Cancer Profiles data. Includes rural-urban data comparisons.
Author(s): Harish Neelam, Furqan Irfan, Robert Wahl, Kelly A. Hirko
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 37, 104
Date: 06/2026
view details
Examines associations between endocrine-disrupting pesticide usage and breast cancer incidence at the county level, using 2001-2015 U.S. Geological Survey Pesticide National Synthesis Project and 2016-2020 NCI State Cancer Profiles data. Includes rural-urban data comparisons.
Author(s): Harish Neelam, Furqan Irfan, Robert Wahl, Kelly A. Hirko
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 37, 104
Date: 06/2026
view details
A Study Pursuant to (Pennsylvania) Senate Resolution 27: Feasibility of a No-Fault Catastrophic Loss Fund for Birth-Related Neurological Injuries
Results of a study on the possibility of establishing a fund for claims brought due to birth-related neurological injuries in Pennsylvania. Discusses the disparity between obstetric care in urban and rural areas and the decreased access to maternity care due to closures of labor and delivery (L&D) units. Contains various statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and county-level maps showing availability of L&D units and travel times to birthing hospitals.
Author(s): Stevi Sprenkle, Stephen Kramer, Shanika Mitchell-Saint Jean, Amy Hockenberry, James Wynne
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Legislative Budget and Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
view details
Results of a study on the possibility of establishing a fund for claims brought due to birth-related neurological injuries in Pennsylvania. Discusses the disparity between obstetric care in urban and rural areas and the decreased access to maternity care due to closures of labor and delivery (L&D) units. Contains various statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and county-level maps showing availability of L&D units and travel times to birthing hospitals.
Author(s): Stevi Sprenkle, Stephen Kramer, Shanika Mitchell-Saint Jean, Amy Hockenberry, James Wynne
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Legislative Budget and Finance Committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
view details
Preliminary Birth Report Kansas, 2025
Provides 2025 county-level data on live births and maternal age in Kansas, with further breakdowns by frontier, rural, densely-settled rural, semi-urban, and urban location.
Author(s): David Oakley, Christina Smith
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
view details
Provides 2025 county-level data on live births and maternal age in Kansas, with further breakdowns by frontier, rural, densely-settled rural, semi-urban, and urban location.
Author(s): David Oakley, Christina Smith
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
view details
Environmental Supports, Expectations, and Barriers to Leisure-Time Physical Activity During Pregnancy: A Rural–Urban Comparison
Discusses leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy among rural and urban populations. Utilizes data from 374 pregnant women regarding their LTPA and related environmental support for LTPA in the first trimester with data broken down according to demographics as well as urban, micropolitan, or small town rural location.
Author(s): Carly Williamson Rogers, Alex Crisp, Katrina Wilhite, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70166
Date: 05/2026
view details
Discusses leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) during pregnancy among rural and urban populations. Utilizes data from 374 pregnant women regarding their LTPA and related environmental support for LTPA in the first trimester with data broken down according to demographics as well as urban, micropolitan, or small town rural location.
Author(s): Carly Williamson Rogers, Alex Crisp, Katrina Wilhite, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70166
Date: 05/2026
view details
First Covid-19 Vaccination Rates Among Pregnant Tennessee Women by Month of Conception and Urbanization Level: March 2021 - November 2021
Describes rates of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy among Tennessee women with a live birth who conceived from March-November 2021. Features statistics with breakdowns by month and by 4 levels of population density.
Author(s): Claudia Valenzuela, Anne K. Driscoll, Elizabeth Harvey, Heather Wingate
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 8(1), 85-95
Date: 04/2026
view details
Describes rates of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy among Tennessee women with a live birth who conceived from March-November 2021. Features statistics with breakdowns by month and by 4 levels of population density.
Author(s): Claudia Valenzuela, Anne K. Driscoll, Elizabeth Harvey, Heather Wingate
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 8(1), 85-95
Date: 04/2026
view details
Population-Based Associations of Body Mass Index and Treatments Received for Breast Cancer in a Rural, Midwestern State
Examines how breast cancer treatment differed by body mass index (BMI), using 2010-2020 Iowa Cancer Registry data of 18,115 patients. Includes data breakdowns by patient rurality and hospital rurality.
Author(s): Breanna L. Blaess, Amanda R. Kahl, Ingrid Lizarraga, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 15(4), e71831
Date: 04/2026
view details
Examines how breast cancer treatment differed by body mass index (BMI), using 2010-2020 Iowa Cancer Registry data of 18,115 patients. Includes data breakdowns by patient rurality and hospital rurality.
Author(s): Breanna L. Blaess, Amanda R. Kahl, Ingrid Lizarraga, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 15(4), e71831
Date: 04/2026
view details