Rural Health Disparities – Resources

Trends in Firearm Death among Middle and High-School Aged Rural and Urban Adolescents from 2001 to 2022
Examines changes over time in firearm mortality among middle and high school-aged adolescents in metropolitan and non-metropolitan settings, utilizing 2001-2022 CDC Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) data. Includes breakdowns of firearm-related homicides, suicides, and unintentional deaths by year, with comparisons to other leading non-firearm related causes of death.
Author(s): Elizabeth H. Weybright, Heather F. Terral, Kelsey M. Conrick, Patrick M. Carter, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 12, 53
Date: 09/2025
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Comparison of Discharge Disposition and AHA Prehospital Stroke Compliance among Urban, Suburban, and Rural EMS Agencies
Compares patient outcomes and compliance with quality of care guidelines among rural, suburban, and urban EMS agencies. Utilizes prehospital encounter data from 31 Colorado and Wyoming hospitals from 2020 to 2022.
Author(s): Daria S. Nicke, Courtney Wham, Ian Espinoza, et al.
Citation: Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 34(9), 108402
Date: 09/2025
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Examining the Burden of Chronic Disease and Low SES to Identify High-Need Rural Counties
Analyzes the geographic and sociodemographic profile of rural, high-need counties in the United States. Examines chronic disease prevalence, socioeconomic status, and access to healthcare facilities by county, with additional breakdowns by demographic characteristics of low-, moderate-, and high-need counties.
Author(s): Gabriel A. Benavidez, Emma Boswell, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 31(5), 691-699
Date: 09/2025
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Association of Injury-Related Mortality with Unique Domains of Social Determinants of Health Across the Urban-Rural Continuum
Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 08/2025
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Appalachian Diseases of Despair: Final Report
Analyzes the impact of diseases of despair on mortality within Appalachia, focusing on mortality from alcohol, prescription drug, and illegal drug overdose; suicide; and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis of the liver. Includes data through 2023, with demographics and breakdowns by subregion, county economic status, and levels of rurality.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, East Tennessee State University Center for Rural Health Research, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Trends and Differences in Infant Mortality Rates in Rural and Metropolitan Counties in the United States, 2021-2023
Data brief offering mortality rates for infants for 3 levels of urbanization. Includes trends between 2014 and 2023 as well as analysis of data from 2021 to 2023 by various demographic factors.
Author(s): Danielle M. Ely
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Geographic and Demographic Correlates of Living in Manufactured Homes: Implications for Health
Examines rates of living in manufactured homes by rural and urban location, and rates among rural residents by region and socio-demographic characteristics. Features statistics on likelihood of living in manufactured housing, crowded housing by manufactured housing status, and housing quality and cost burden, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Jonathan Schroeder, Alexis Swendener, Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Cancer in Rural America: Improving Access to Clinical Trials and Quality of Oncologic Care
Discusses the importance of rural populations accessing oncologic clinical trials to decrease cancer morbidity and mortality rates in rural areas. Provides rural versus urban patient data on distance from trial sites as well as prevalence of chronic disease. Suggests strategies and policies to improve access to clinical trials.
Author(s): Joseph M. Unger, Barbara L. McAneny, Raymond U. Osarogiagbon
Citation: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 75(4), 341-361
Date: 07/2025
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2023 Data: Rural/Urban Traffic Fatalities
Reports 2023 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data describing fatal motor vehicle crashes. Provides rural versus urban statistics for fatal motor vehicle crashes by light condition, roadway departure and intersection, age group, speeding, alcohol use, seat belt use, and rollover crashes. Includes statistics on ratio of rural to urban fatality rates per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, by state, as of 2023.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Lifespan Exposures to Rural-Urban Conditions and Later-Life Cognitive Function
Examines associations between rural or urban residence during childhood and adulthood and cognitive outcomes, including mild cognitive impairment and dementia, among older adults, utilizing 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) data of 3496 individuals aged 65 years or older.
Author(s): Lingzhi Chu, Yingyan Wu, Heidi Karjalainen, Olivia E Atherton
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia, 21(6), e70267
Date: 06/2025
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