Rural Health Disparities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Health Disparities.
Inequitable Access to General and Behavioral Healthcare in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Role for Telehealth?
Examines general and behavioral healthcare access and disparities during the first year of the pandemic, using data from the 2019–2020 U.S. National Alcohol Survey and its COVID follow-up survey conducted January 30 to March 28, 2021. Explores the role of telehealth in providing an important bridge to healthcare for certain medically underserved groups during the pandemic. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Nina Mulia, Yu Ye, Thomas K. Greenfield, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 169
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
view details
Examines general and behavioral healthcare access and disparities during the first year of the pandemic, using data from the 2019–2020 U.S. National Alcohol Survey and its COVID follow-up survey conducted January 30 to March 28, 2021. Explores the role of telehealth in providing an important bridge to healthcare for certain medically underserved groups during the pandemic. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Nina Mulia, Yu Ye, Thomas K. Greenfield, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 169
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
view details
Rural Working-Age Adults Report More Cost Barriers to Health Care
Policy brief examining rural-urban differences in affordability of care and cost-saving strategies among adults ages 18-64. Features demographics and statistics on prescription drug cost-saving measures and difficulty affording medical care in the past year, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Carly Milkowski, Amanda Burgess
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
Policy brief examining rural-urban differences in affordability of care and cost-saving strategies among adults ages 18-64. Features demographics and statistics on prescription drug cost-saving measures and difficulty affording medical care in the past year, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Carly Milkowski, Amanda Burgess
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
view details
2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Patient Safety
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality and disparities for metro (urban) to noncore (rural) populations. Includes quality measures for patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and affordability.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality and disparities for metro (urban) to noncore (rural) populations. Includes quality measures for patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and affordability.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Assessing Geographic Variability in Key Indicators of Air Quality: A Rural vs. Urban Comparison of Pollution and Socio-Economic Factors
Results of a study to examine rates of air pollution between rural and urban census tracts, using data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality System web portal for the years 2000-2020. Features statistics including mean concentrations of fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and ozone in rural and urban census tracts, and maps showing concentrations of PM2.5 for census tracts by EPA region.
Author(s): Daniel Kilpatrick, Jeremy Cothran, Stella Self, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
view details
Results of a study to examine rates of air pollution between rural and urban census tracts, using data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality System web portal for the years 2000-2020. Features statistics including mean concentrations of fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) and ozone in rural and urban census tracts, and maps showing concentrations of PM2.5 for census tracts by EPA region.
Author(s): Daniel Kilpatrick, Jeremy Cothran, Stella Self, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
view details
Rural and Urban Differences in Insurance Coverage at Prepregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum
Examines insurance coverage in rural and urban women at prepregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Analyzes 154,992 postpartum individuals in the U.S. part of the 2016-2019 PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) and breaks down rural versus urban data by age, race/ethnicity, income, state Medicaid expansion, education, marital status, chronic disease, and more. Discusses disparities in insurance for rural and urban women.
Author(s): Lindsay K. Admon, Jamie R. Daw, Julia D. Interrante, et al.
Citation: Obstetrics & Gynecology, 14(3), 570-581
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
view details
Examines insurance coverage in rural and urban women at prepregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Analyzes 154,992 postpartum individuals in the U.S. part of the 2016-2019 PRAMS (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System) and breaks down rural versus urban data by age, race/ethnicity, income, state Medicaid expansion, education, marital status, chronic disease, and more. Discusses disparities in insurance for rural and urban women.
Author(s): Lindsay K. Admon, Jamie R. Daw, Julia D. Interrante, et al.
Citation: Obstetrics & Gynecology, 14(3), 570-581
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
view details
Cancer Disproportionately Impacts Adults Living in Rural Areas
Analyzes cancer disparities in metro and nonmetro areas across the U.S. as well as select states that did not expand Medicaid coverage: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Utilizes multiple data sources to examine cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates in metro and nonmetro areas.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The National Grange
view details
Analyzes cancer disparities in metro and nonmetro areas across the U.S. as well as select states that did not expand Medicaid coverage: Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Utilizes multiple data sources to examine cancer incidence, mortality, and survival rates in metro and nonmetro areas.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The National Grange
view details
Rural–Urban Disparities in Adverse Maternal Outcomes in the United States, 2016–2019
Analyzes maternal mortality and admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) in rural and urban areas in the U.S. between 2016 and 2019. Utilizes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) to examine rural versus urban maternal health disparities.
Author(s): Katharine A. Harrington, Natalie A. Cameron, Kasen Culler, William A. Grobman, Sadiya S. Khan
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 113(2)
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
Analyzes maternal mortality and admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) in rural and urban areas in the U.S. between 2016 and 2019. Utilizes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) to examine rural versus urban maternal health disparities.
Author(s): Katharine A. Harrington, Natalie A. Cameron, Kasen Culler, William A. Grobman, Sadiya S. Khan
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 113(2)
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
view details
Common Problems, Common Solutions: Looking Across Sectors at Strategies for Supporting Rural Youth and Families Tool-Kit
Provides an overview of barriers faced by rural communities in supporting youth and families, and innovative strategies to improve outcomes for youth, families, and communities. Informed by interviews and listening sessions with practitioners and leaders working in rural areas across the United States.
Author(s): Lisa Pilnik, Christine Humowitz
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, U.S. Department of Justice
view details
Provides an overview of barriers faced by rural communities in supporting youth and families, and innovative strategies to improve outcomes for youth, families, and communities. Informed by interviews and listening sessions with practitioners and leaders working in rural areas across the United States.
Author(s): Lisa Pilnik, Christine Humowitz
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgetown University Center for Juvenile Justice Reform, U.S. Department of Justice
view details
Early Estimates of Motor Vehicle Traffic Fatalities and Fatality Rate by Sub-Categories Through June 2022
Examines motor vehicle fatalities from January, 2021 through June, 2022. Breaks down data by month, age, race, and by rural versus urban roads, among other measures. Compares 2021 fatality data to 2022 rates by month for a number of indicators, including rural areas.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
view details
Examines motor vehicle fatalities from January, 2021 through June, 2022. Breaks down data by month, age, race, and by rural versus urban roads, among other measures. Compares 2021 fatality data to 2022 rates by month for a number of indicators, including rural areas.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
view details
Streamlining Research Access
Features an interview with Per Ostmo, Program Director of the Rural Health Research Gateway. Discusses the mission of the Gateway and highlights some of the research projects rural health research centers (RHRCs) have undertaken. Highlights some challenges facing rural healthcare delivery and points to some conclusions drawn from RHRC research.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Physician Publishing, Inc.
view details
Features an interview with Per Ostmo, Program Director of the Rural Health Research Gateway. Discusses the mission of the Gateway and highlights some of the research projects rural health research centers (RHRCs) have undertaken. Highlights some challenges facing rural healthcare delivery and points to some conclusions drawn from RHRC research.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Physician Publishing, Inc.
view details
Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Appalachia
- Delta Region
- Health disparities
- Rural-urban differences
- The South
- U.S.-Mexico Border Region
Last Updated: 3/27/2023