Rural Obesity and Weight Control – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Obesity and Weight Control.
Advancing Obesity Solutions Through Investments in the Built Environment: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes a September 2017 workshop focused on the role of the built environment in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Identifies promising strategies to create more healthful environments. Contains some discussion specific to rural areas and small communities, including efforts to support physical activity throughout Montana.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Roundtable on Obesity Solutions
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Summarizes a September 2017 workshop focused on the role of the built environment in the prevention and treatment of obesity. Identifies promising strategies to create more healthful environments. Contains some discussion specific to rural areas and small communities, including efforts to support physical activity throughout Montana.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Roundtable on Obesity Solutions
Date: 2018
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Development of a Nationally Representative Built Environment Measure of Access to Exercise Opportunities
Describes the development of a county-level measure of residents' access to physical exercise opportunities, based on proximity to parks and recreational facilities. This measure is used in County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Includes a national map showing county-level access to adequate exercise options.
Author(s): Anne M. Roubal, Amanda Jovaag, Hyojun Park, Keith P. Gennuso
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 01/2015
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Describes the development of a county-level measure of residents' access to physical exercise opportunities, based on proximity to parks and recreational facilities. This measure is used in County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Includes a national map showing county-level access to adequate exercise options.
Author(s): Anne M. Roubal, Amanda Jovaag, Hyojun Park, Keith P. Gennuso
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 01/2015
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The Social Determinants of Health of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity: A Research Framework
Examines the social determinants of health related to childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes from a Native perspective, considering historical trauma, self-determination, and cultural factors. Looks at currently available information, identifies gaps, and provides a research framework to help build a better understanding of the causes of child obesity among Native Americans.
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Notah Begay III Foundation
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Examines the social determinants of health related to childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes from a Native perspective, considering historical trauma, self-determination, and cultural factors. Looks at currently available information, identifies gaps, and provides a research framework to help build a better understanding of the causes of child obesity among Native Americans.
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: Notah Begay III Foundation
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Integrating Primary Care Practices and Community-Based Resources to Manage Obesity: A Bridge-building Toolkit for Rural Primary Care Practices
Provides resources to help rural primary care practices connect patients to community-based obesity management resources. Outlines a step-by-step process, as well as sample worksheets, surveys, brochures and other materials. Based on the experiences of six rural Oregon primary care practices and developed by the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network.
Author(s): Paul McGinnis, Melinda M. Davis, Sonya Howk, Molly DeSordi, Michelle Thomas
Date: 05/2014
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Provides resources to help rural primary care practices connect patients to community-based obesity management resources. Outlines a step-by-step process, as well as sample worksheets, surveys, brochures and other materials. Based on the experiences of six rural Oregon primary care practices and developed by the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network.
Author(s): Paul McGinnis, Melinda M. Davis, Sonya Howk, Molly DeSordi, Michelle Thomas
Date: 05/2014
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The 2011 Report to the Secretary: Rural Health and Human Services Issues
Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focused on rural childhood obesity, place-based initiatives for rural early childhood development, and rural implications of accountable care organizations and payment bundling. Includes recommendations to address these issues and provides appendices describing the 2010 site visits.
Date: 03/2011
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Report to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focused on rural childhood obesity, place-based initiatives for rural early childhood development, and rural implications of accountable care organizations and payment bundling. Includes recommendations to address these issues and provides appendices describing the 2010 site visits.
Date: 03/2011
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Obesity Prevalence & Comorbidity Map
A mapping tool that provides state-level information on obesity prevalence and related comorbidities. Allows user to select data by sociodemographic populations including sex, age, race/ethnicity, urbanicity, and education level.
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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A mapping tool that provides state-level information on obesity prevalence and related comorbidities. Allows user to select data by sociodemographic populations including sex, age, race/ethnicity, urbanicity, and education level.
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Catalogue of Surveillance Systems
Listing of over 100 publicly available datasets relating to childhood obesity and research. Catalogue is searchable by key words and can be filtered by scope, variables, demographics, design, and cost. Includes datasets with rural specific information.
Sponsoring organization: National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research
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Listing of over 100 publicly available datasets relating to childhood obesity and research. Catalogue is searchable by key words and can be filtered by scope, variables, demographics, design, and cost. Includes datasets with rural specific information.
Sponsoring organization: National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research
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The Community Guide
Shares effective methods for improving population health and addressing public health issues using an informed, evidence-based approach from the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF).
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Shares effective methods for improving population health and addressing public health issues using an informed, evidence-based approach from the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF).
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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PubMed Search: Obesity and Weight Control in Rural Areas
Searches PubMed's collection of journal article citations on the topics of obesity and weight control in rural areas.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. National Library of Medicine
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Searches PubMed's collection of journal article citations on the topics of obesity and weight control in rural areas.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. National Library of Medicine
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Food Environment Atlas
Web-based mapping tool providing access to county-level data on multiple factors affecting access to healthy, affordable food. Includes information on grocery store availability, food assistance, and food insecurity. Covers data on physical activity, diabetes, obesity, and socioeconomic characteristics.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Web-based mapping tool providing access to county-level data on multiple factors affecting access to healthy, affordable food. Includes information on grocery store availability, food assistance, and food insecurity. Covers data on physical activity, diabetes, obesity, and socioeconomic characteristics.
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 11/5/2025

