https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/topics/chronic-disease Chronic Disease in Rural America resources related to rural health, with information provided by the Rural Health Information Hub en Copyright 2026 Rural Health Information Hub https://www.ruralhealth.us/blogs/2026/09-september/how-libraries-are-bringing-heart-health-resources-to-rural-communities Describes the work of libraries to connect rural and tribal communities with tools and education promoting heart health through the American Heart Association's Libraries with Heart initiative. Discusses rural heart health risk and highlights how the program has been implemented in Florida, Louisiana, and Arkansas. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/38980 Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:52:47 -0500 https://dailyyonder.com/study-finds-link-between-food-insecurity-and-chronic-illness-in-rural-texas/2026/09/10/ Highlights recent research in Texas finding a connection between food insecurity and chronic illness. Discusses how non-medical drivers of health can lead to poor health outcomes and common barriers to affordable and nutritious foods such as transportation. Describes how community-based organizations can use the findings to make decisions about resource allocation. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/38965 Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:00:17 -0500 https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=ruhrc_reports Analyzes disparities in Diabetes Self-Management Training use among Medicare beneficiaries, using data from 2017-2024. Expands on a 2020 study to assess whether disparities have persisted, widened, or narrowed over time, and to examine broader trends in service availability, provider participation, and beneficiary use. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas. -- Rural and Underserved Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28685 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:08:47 -0500 https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/08/research-chronic-pain.html Describes newly funded research investigating chronic pain among rural older adults using machine learning to extract data and make it more useful to clinicians. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/38945 Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:41 -0500 https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/funding/6703 Funding for early-career researchers to learn to use the American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines clinical registry data to address current gaps in the implementation of care. Differences in care among rural and urban hospitals are an example of a potential research question. -- American Heart Association https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/funding/6703 Tue, 25 Aug 2026 13:37:48 -0500 https://dailyyonder.com/researchers-work-to-address-alzheimers-and-dementia-in-rural-communities/2026/08/25/ Discusses the work of 3 Minnesota-based researchers to address Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) in rural communities. Highlighted projects focus on tribal communities, overcoming barriers to exercise, and identifying innovative work in the ADRD space already happening in rural communities. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/news/38914 Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:20:53 -0500 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/trlC-22BSVCVmuJKlW9FVQ -- National Association of County and City Health Officials https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/events/25532 Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:44:32 -0500 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/trlC-22BSVCVmuJKlW9FVQ -- National Association of County and City Health Officials https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/events/25531 Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:42:14 -0500 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/trlC-22BSVCVmuJKlW9FVQ -- National Association of County and City Health Officials https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/events/25530 Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:38:02 -0500 https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/trlC-22BSVCVmuJKlW9FVQ -- National Association of County and City Health Officials https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/events/25529 Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:36:03 -0500 https://atlas.heartlandprotocol.org/#atlas Offers a county level map of cardiology providers to demonstrate areas with limited access to cardiology care. Map is interactive and can show rural counties, counties with Critical Access Hospitals, and Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28561 Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:11:23 -0500 https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/kidney-care Profiles the Kidney Care Options (KCO) Program developed by Major Health Partners (MHP) in rural Shelby County, Indiana. Shares how the nurse-led, interdisciplinary KCO program provides patient education, care coordination, patient advocacy, and other supports early in the treatment process so patients can make informed decisions about their kidney care. -- Rural Health Information Hub https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28459 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:19:00 -0500 https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/4/5/qxag072/8675956 Compares perspectives of 25 low-income patients with chronic disease risk and 19 healthcare providers in the rural Mississippi Delta on potential impacts of a food is medicine (FIM) program. Discusses themes regarding health status improvement, improvements to food insecurity, diet-related disease management and healthcare delivery, implementation barriers, and program adherence. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28034 Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:29:24 -0500 https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYP.0000000000000263 Discusses factors influencing the high rural prevalence of hypertension and highlights approaches for improving rural hypertension management. Covers topics including nonmedical drivers of health, access to services, medication access and use, nutrition and food insecurity, telehealth, and culturally-tailored service delivery. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28308 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 09:53:43 -0500 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12882-025-04721-z Discusses the impact of the Community Based Study of the Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease in Cuba New Mexico and Surrounding Areas (COMPASS) research study on 33 participating adults in rural New Mexico. Discusses topics related to study participation, health literacy, and research dissemination, including participants' lifestyle changes, understanding of kidney-related health issues, challenges, and suggestions. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28222 Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:51:30 -0500 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090123225007751 Examines rural versus urban disparities in cardiovascular (CVD) death among cancer patients. Utilizes 1990-2017 data from 2,022,482 cancer patients and provides data breakdowns according to mortality, rural versus urban location, and cause of death. Discusses non-cancer and CVD death burden in cancer patients living in rural areas. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28188 Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:31:01 -0500 https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/4/5/qxag109/8695893 Describes the "Triple Disadvantage Zones" or the places where rurality, Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas, and social deprivation converge to create a dementia diagnostic desert resulting in both delayed diagnosis and over-testing. Discusses training gaps for nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well as policy measures to mitigate diagnosis errors. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/28015 Wed, 27 May 2026 15:20:01 -0500 https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/rural-monitor/intersect-program Features a program at Arbor Family Health in Louisiana that connects chronic disease patients with nurse health coaches and clinical pharmacists. Shares how pharmacy faculty and students from the Xavier University of Louisiana's College of Pharmacy conduct annual comprehensive medication reviews by phone. -- Rural Health Information Hub https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27935 Wed, 13 May 2026 13:13:23 -0500 https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/ccc3c2a7-9a7e-4b58-8433-65d1ab32b425/content Describes the trends in potentially preventable hospitalizations for asthma among children 2 to 17 years old between 2016 and 2020. Presents data on the rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations for pediatric asthma by hospital characteristics and patient demographics, including the rural classification of hospitals and patient residence. -- Southwest Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27791 Tue, 12 May 2026 16:24:47 -0500 https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2025/25_0215.htm Compares the prevalence of obesity and overweight and examines how obesogenic factors such as food security, physical activity, sleep time, and screen time vary by rural or urban dwelling among children aged 10 to 17 years. Uses 2021-2022 National Survey of Children's Health data. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27881 Mon, 04 May 2026 11:31:14 -0500 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.70156 Explores the efficacy of multi-listing, or being added to waiting lists at more than two centers, for rural people who qualify for a kidney transplant as a method for improving rural transplantation rates. Breaks down data by patients characteristics of both recipients and donors and whether they were multi-listed prior to transplant. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27869 Thu, 30 Apr 2026 16:57:05 -0500 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db557.htm Provides data on the prevalence of heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke among adults age 45 and older by level of rurality, using data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey. -- National Center for Health Statistics https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27776 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:25:00 -0500 https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/public_health/research/research_centers/scrhrc/archive/documents/0026highneed.pdf Describes how county-level data on healthcare workforce, chronic disease prevalence, and socioeconomic environment of rural communities can help policymakers identify the highest need counties for targeted policy initiatives and public health intervention. Features county-level U.S. maps showing geographic distribution of chronic disease burden, socioeconomic status, physician density, and overall resource need, with shadings showing level of need or nonrural status. -- University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27760 Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:24:01 -0500 https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2026/25_0288.htm Analyzes the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in rural and urban populations using 2021-2024 NHIS data. Includes rural-urban data comparisons by sociodemographic group, including sex, age, body mass index, race and ethnicity, income level, food security status, and more. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27748 Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:15:37 -0500 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db555.htm Offers data highlighting aerobic physical activity among adults. Includes a data breakdown by 4 levels of urbanization in addition to other demographic characteristics, family income, education, disability status, and body mass index. -- National Center for Health Statistics https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27724 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:03:56 -0500 https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/macarena.garcia4428/viz/PreventableEarlyDeathsintheUnitedStates2010-2022/ss1_mapview_final Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics System data, offers state level rural and urban data for preventable deaths in people younger than 80. Death causes include unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke, and cancer. -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/23127 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:20:49 -0500 https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/cfee668e-669b-4415-8f6e-3cb926f5f760/content Examines trends in pediatric emergency department visits for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs), including gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, asthma, and diabetes, and discusses the role of primary care access in reducing ACSC-related hospitalizations. Provides data breakdowns by level of rurality and year, race and ethnicity, and health condition using 2016-2019 State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) data. -- Southwest Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27690 Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:04:40 -0500 https://sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/public_health/research/research_centers/scrhrc/archive/documents/00263ruraldiabeteslandscape.pdf Describes the national incidence and prevalence of diabetes between 2021-2023 using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Presents data on diabetes-related mortality between 2018-2023 from the CDC WONDER platform. Compares the incidence, prevalence, and mortality data across large metro, small metro, and nonmetro counties. Highlights areas of the country with significantly higher and lower diabetes-related mortality rates. -- University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27625 Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:38:56 -0500 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.70132 Presents a study on rural veterans' access to specialty care for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), such as fibromyalgia, migraine, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Explores the role of rural residence and primary care site access plays in veterans' ability to receive specialty care for COPCs. Breaks down data by patient characteristics, chronic pain conditions, care site, and provider type, among other factors. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27571 Tue, 17 Mar 2026 10:25:16 -0500 https://bmjopenrespres.bmj.com/content/13/1/e003178 Examines barriers to implementing the COPD Coordinated Access to Reduce Exacerbations (COPD CARE) program, a care bundle focused on improving chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care coordination among pharmacists, nurse care managers, and other pharmacy clinicians in the Veterans Affairs system. Describes themes from clinician interviews, including discussion of staffing challenges, limited referral availability, fragmentation of care, technological limitations, and more. https://www.ruralhealthinfo.org/resources/27551 Thu, 12 Mar 2026 12:11:04 -0500