Rural Maternal Health – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Maternal Health.
Is Rural Residence an Independent Risk Factor for Spontaneous Preterm Birth at a Midwestern Tertiary Care Center? A Cross-Sectional Study
Examines the correlation between rural residence and spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Analyzes 16,974 deliveries among 13,339 women at a Midwest tertiary care center according to patient demographics, gestational age, insurance status, health status and behaviors, and rural versus urban location. Discusses rurality as a variable and potential causes for the correlation to sPTB.
Author(s): Abbie Lund, Barcey T. Levy, Yinghui Xu, David A. Bedell, Mark K. Santillan
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 07/2025
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Examines the correlation between rural residence and spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Analyzes 16,974 deliveries among 13,339 women at a Midwest tertiary care center according to patient demographics, gestational age, insurance status, health status and behaviors, and rural versus urban location. Discusses rurality as a variable and potential causes for the correlation to sPTB.
Author(s): Abbie Lund, Barcey T. Levy, Yinghui Xu, David A. Bedell, Mark K. Santillan
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 07/2025
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Exploring a Food Is Medicine Pilot Program to Improve Dietary Quality among Rural Perinatal Patients
Examines the implementation of Food is Medicine (FIM) approaches in rural areas to improve food access and perinatal health outcomes. Analyzes qualitative data from 31 participants regarding FIM supports, dietary quality, self-reported health outcomes, and potential food security barriers.
Author(s): Sophia E. Allen, Taralyn Bielaski, Chelsey R. Canavan
Citation: BMC Nutrition, 11, 152
Date: 07/2025
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Examines the implementation of Food is Medicine (FIM) approaches in rural areas to improve food access and perinatal health outcomes. Analyzes qualitative data from 31 participants regarding FIM supports, dietary quality, self-reported health outcomes, and potential food security barriers.
Author(s): Sophia E. Allen, Taralyn Bielaski, Chelsey R. Canavan
Citation: BMC Nutrition, 11, 152
Date: 07/2025
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The Geographic Distribution of Family Physicians Providing Maternity Care and Opportunities for Expanding Access to Care in Rural Areas
Examines family physicians (FPs) who provide maternity care and their geographic distribution in the United States. Analyzes maternity care across 325 counties, observing counties where FPs are the only maternity care providers, counties where there are no maternity care providers, and counties with or without hospital obstetric services. Includes discussion on maternity healthcare access disparities in rural areas.
Author(s): Michael Topmiller, Grace Walter, Anuradha Jetty, et al.
Citation: The Annals of Family Medicine, 23(4), 302-307
Date: 07/2025
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Examines family physicians (FPs) who provide maternity care and their geographic distribution in the United States. Analyzes maternity care across 325 counties, observing counties where FPs are the only maternity care providers, counties where there are no maternity care providers, and counties with or without hospital obstetric services. Includes discussion on maternity healthcare access disparities in rural areas.
Author(s): Michael Topmiller, Grace Walter, Anuradha Jetty, et al.
Citation: The Annals of Family Medicine, 23(4), 302-307
Date: 07/2025
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Confronting the Crisis: Actions to Address Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Among Black Women in Rural Georgia
Discusses the issue of maternal mortality among Black women in rural Georgia. Focuses on policy, proposed solutions and strategies, and community-based collaborations that can provide improved maternal healthcare access to rural areas of Georgia.
Author(s): Jalen Robinson, Jaliyah Screen, Carey Roth Bayer
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 07/2025
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Discusses the issue of maternal mortality among Black women in rural Georgia. Focuses on policy, proposed solutions and strategies, and community-based collaborations that can provide improved maternal healthcare access to rural areas of Georgia.
Author(s): Jalen Robinson, Jaliyah Screen, Carey Roth Bayer
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 07/2025
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Access to OB-GYNs: Evaluating Workforce Supply and ACA Marketplace Networks
Examines the workforce supply of OB-GYNs employed in the United States and part of insurance marketplace networks. Provides interactive county-level data on number of practicing OB-GYNs per 100,000 women aged 15-64. Presents the share of counties with no OB-GYNs and the share of women living in them according to rural, small metro, or urban county classification.
Author(s): Michelle Long, Matthew Rae, Aubrey Winger, and Kaye Pestaina
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the workforce supply of OB-GYNs employed in the United States and part of insurance marketplace networks. Provides interactive county-level data on number of practicing OB-GYNs per 100,000 women aged 15-64. Presents the share of counties with no OB-GYNs and the share of women living in them according to rural, small metro, or urban county classification.
Author(s): Michelle Long, Matthew Rae, Aubrey Winger, and Kaye Pestaina
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Obstetric Care Access Declined in Rural and Urban Hospitals Across US States, 2010–22
Examines the number and proportion of hospitals located in rural and urban counties in each state that lost hospital-based obstetric services between 2010 and 2022. Describes the proportion of hospitals without obstetric services for any reason by 2022.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(7), 806-811
Date: 07/2025
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Examines the number and proportion of hospitals located in rural and urban counties in each state that lost hospital-based obstetric services between 2010 and 2022. Describes the proportion of hospitals without obstetric services for any reason by 2022.
Author(s): Katy Backes Kozhimannil, Julia D. Interrante, Caitlin Carroll, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 44(7), 806-811
Date: 07/2025
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Evaluation of the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model: Fourth Annual Report (Implementation Year 3)
Provides an overview of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model, which provides evidence-based integrated care and care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes activities MOM Model awardees undertook during the MOM Model's second implementation year, July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024, and summarizes qualitative and beneficiary-level process data findings by state awardee. Discusses barriers pregnant and postpartum women with OUD face in accessing high-quality, continuous care, specifically in rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Westat
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Provides an overview of the Maternal Opioid Misuse Model, which provides evidence-based integrated care and care coordination for pregnant and postpartum Medicaid beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes activities MOM Model awardees undertook during the MOM Model's second implementation year, July 1, 2023–June 30, 2024, and summarizes qualitative and beneficiary-level process data findings by state awardee. Discusses barriers pregnant and postpartum women with OUD face in accessing high-quality, continuous care, specifically in rural areas.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Westat
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Trends in Mean Age of Mothers: United States, 2016–2023
Examines trends in maternal age at the time of first birth, second birth, and third birth and higher, as well as by mother's demographics and urbanicity. Utilizes 2016–2023 National Vital Statistics System data to provide the mean maternal age with urbanicity breakdowns according to noncore (nonmetropolitan), micropolitan (nonmetropolitan), small metropolitan, medium metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, and large central metropolitan.
Author(s): Andrea D. Brown, Brady E. Hamilton, Dmitry M. Kissin, Joyce A. Martin
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Examines trends in maternal age at the time of first birth, second birth, and third birth and higher, as well as by mother's demographics and urbanicity. Utilizes 2016–2023 National Vital Statistics System data to provide the mean maternal age with urbanicity breakdowns according to noncore (nonmetropolitan), micropolitan (nonmetropolitan), small metropolitan, medium metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, and large central metropolitan.
Author(s): Andrea D. Brown, Brady E. Hamilton, Dmitry M. Kissin, Joyce A. Martin
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Obstetric Care in Rural Critical Access Hospitals: A Domestic Application of the World Health Organization Emergency Obstetric Care Framework in Rural Communities
Examines emergency obstetric readiness in rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that do not have obstetric units. Reports on facility assessments in Montana utilizing the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) framework to assess CAHs for emergency obstetric care readiness.
Author(s): Annie L. Glover, Diane Brown, Carly Holman, Megan Nelson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 05/2025
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Examines emergency obstetric readiness in rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) that do not have obstetric units. Reports on facility assessments in Montana utilizing the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) framework to assess CAHs for emergency obstetric care readiness.
Author(s): Annie L. Glover, Diane Brown, Carly Holman, Megan Nelson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 05/2025
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Medicaid Plays A Key Role for Maternal and Infant Health in Rural Communities
Explores the role of Medicaid in covering women of childbearing age - 19 through 44 years old - living in small towns and rural areas. Presents data from the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) on the percentage of women of childbearing age in small towns and rural areas have Medicaid coverage by state and compares the share of Medicaid coverage to similar women in metropolitan counties. Describes the percentage of women of childbearing age with Medicaid coverage as a share of non-elderly adults with Medicaid across Medicaid expansion states and non-expansion states. Highlights the 20 small towns and rural areas with the highest share of women of childbearing age covered by Medicaid.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Explores the role of Medicaid in covering women of childbearing age - 19 through 44 years old - living in small towns and rural areas. Presents data from the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) on the percentage of women of childbearing age in small towns and rural areas have Medicaid coverage by state and compares the share of Medicaid coverage to similar women in metropolitan counties. Describes the percentage of women of childbearing age with Medicaid coverage as a share of non-elderly adults with Medicaid across Medicaid expansion states and non-expansion states. Highlights the 20 small towns and rural areas with the highest share of women of childbearing age covered by Medicaid.
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown University Health Policy Institute
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Last Updated: 7/30/2025