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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Women

Improvements and Maintenance of Clinical and Functional Measures Among Rural Women: Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities-2.0 Cluster Randomized Trial
Analyzes the impact of the Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities-2.0 (SHHC-2.0) program for weight loss and improved fitness in rural women. Examines 182 midlife and older women in rural, medically underserved communities in New York. Includes demographic information of participants as well corresponding clinical and functional measures after completing the program.
Author(s): Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, Galen D. Eldridge, Chad D. Rethorst, et al.
Citation: Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, 15(11), e009333
Date: 11/2022
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Breast Cancer Screening Disparities in Medicare Beneficiaries
Discusses breast cancer prevalence and screening mammography use among female Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries between 2012 and 2021. Presents data on breast cancer prevalence and screening mammography in 2021 by county and race and ethnicity. Includes data on breast cancer screening among Medicaid Advantage enrollees in 2019 by urban/rural status and race and ethnicity.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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COVID-19 Death Rates in Urban and Rural Areas: United States, 2020
Examines COVID-19 death rates for rural and urban areas in 2020, with data by six levels of urbanicity. Includes overall death rates as well as rates by sex for all age groups, for those under age 65, and for those 65 and older.
Author(s): Sally C. Curtin, Melonie Heron
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Spatial Analysis of Breast Cancer Mortality Rates in a Rural State
Examines breast cancer mortality rates in South Dakota women as related to sociodemographic and county-level factors. Includes county-level state maps of age-adjusted mortality rates and cancer incidence.
Author(s): Marisa Schulz, Emma Spors, Kari Bates, Semhar Michael
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 10/2022
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Maternal Health: Availability of Hospital-Based Obstetric Care in Rural Areas
Explores the availability of hospital-based obstetric services in rural areas. Summarizes stakeholder perspectives on the factors affecting the availability of these services and on the efforts federal agencies, states, and others could take to increase the access to obstetric care. Highlights six programs identified by researchers and provider associations as effective at increasing obstetric care in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Young Women Show Increases in Higher Educational Attainment Compared to Rural Young Men
Stacked bar charts showing educational attainment for young women (age 25-34) in 1990 and 2020 and for young men (age 25-34) in 1990 and 2020.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2022
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals and birth centers that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, percentage of women without health insurance, percentage of births covered by Medicaid, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of maternity care deserts as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Disparities in Breast and Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates for Females in Illinois, 1996 – 2019
Provides data on breast and cervical cancer disparities in Illinois women from 1996 to 2019, with breakdowns by race/ethnicity, age, stage at diagnosis, and rural, small urban, suburban, or urban county type. Includes incidence and mortality rates utilizing Illinois State Cancer Registry (ISCR) incidence data and National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) mortality data.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Department of Public Health
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Rural and Urban Women Have Differing Sexual and Reproductive Health Experiences
Explores the healthcare disparities women aged 15 to 49 experience related to sexual and reproductive health. Analyzes 2015-2019 data from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) to investigate contraceptive use in 1,128 rural residents and 6,007 urban residents. Includes rural versus urban demographic breakdowns according to race/ethnicity, nativity, income, education, LGB+ identity, and history of/plans for having children.
Author(s): Emma Pliskin, Kate Welti, Jennifer Manlove
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Child Trends
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Rural–Urban Differences in Breast and Colorectal Cancer Screening among US Women, 2014-2019
Analyzes disparities in breast and colorectal cancer screening in rural and urban women aged 50-74 in the U.S. using 2014-2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Includes demographic breakdowns by age, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, education level, income, marital status, health behaviors, and reported access to healthcare.
Author(s): Nicholas Theodoropoulos, Hui Xie, Qian Wang, Chi Wen, Yannan Li
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 22(3), 7339
Date: 09/2022
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