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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health Disparities – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Health Disparities.

Health Disparities in Appalachia
Measures population health in Appalachia and explores disparities within the region and between Appalachia and the country as a whole. Features statistics on mortality, morbidity, behavioral health, child health, community characteristics, lifestyle, healthcare systems, quality of care, and social determinants, with breakdowns between urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julie L. Marshall, Logan Thomas, Nancy M. Lane, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, PDA, Inc., The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Bringing Change for Rural COPD Patients: Possibilities with the COPD National Action Plan
Highlights the mounting costs of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the substantial impact the disease has on rural communities, and the growing divide between COPD-related rural and urban mortality rates. The recently released COPD National Action Plan (CNAP) is set to bring COPD into the spotlight as a national health concern, and rural America will likely play a major role.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Making the Case for Investment in Rural Cancer Control: An Analysis of Rural Cancer Incidence, Mortality, and Funding Trends
Highlights rural-urban disparities in cancer prevalence and mortality from 2009-2013, and analyzes the five-year (2011-2016) funding trends for rural-focused, National Cancer Institute (NCI) supported cancer control grants.
Author(s): Kelly D. Blake, Jennifer L. Moss, Anna Gaysynsky, Shobha Srinivasan, Robert T. Croyle
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 26(7), 992-997
Date: 07/2017
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Prevalence of Arthritis and Arthritis-Attributable Activity Limitation by Urban-Rural County Classification — United States, 2015
Provides detailed data on prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation for six urban-rural categories. Includes urban-rural data by age, sex, education, employment, body mass index, smoking status, physical activity, self-rated health, and functionally disabled status.
Author(s): Michael A. Boring, Jennifer M. Hootman, Yong Liu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(20), 527-532
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Differences in Health Care, Family, and Community Factors Associated with Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders Among Children Aged 2–8 Years in Rural and Urban Areas — United States, 2011–2012
Provides rural and urban data on a variety of health-related factors for children 2-8 years of age with and without mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders. Topics addressed include demographics, health insurance coverage, having a medical home, parental mental health, family financial difficulties, and community factors.
Author(s): Lara R. Robinson, Joseph R. Holbrook, Rebecca H. Bitsko, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(8), 1-11
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Health-Related Behaviors by Urban-Rural County Classification — United States, 2013
Provides data on five self-reported health-related behaviors for residents of rural and urban areas. Behaviors include sufficient sleep, current nonsmoking, nondrinking or moderate drinking, maintaining normal body weight, and meeting aerobic leisure time physical activity recommendations. Includes data for each behavior for metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore (rural) areas, as well as prevalence of 4-5 health behaviors by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and education level. Based on 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data.
Author(s): Kevin A. Matthews, Janet B. Croft, Yong Liu, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(5), 1-8
Date: 02/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The Role of Medicare and the Indian Health Service for American Indians and Alaska Natives: Health, Access and Coverage
Examines the health, healthcare access, income, and education disparities that exist within the Native American and Alaskan Native population, as well as the roles of Medicare and the Indian Health Service (IHS) in addressing these disparities.
Author(s): Cristina Boccuti, Christina Swoope, Samantha Artiga
Date: 12/2014
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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The 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook
Updates information presented in Health, United States, 2001: With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook. Highlights current trends and disparities across different levels of metro and nonmetropolitan counties, including population characteristics; health-related behaviors and risk factors; mortality rates; healthcare access and use; mental health measures; and other health measures such as teen birth rates, tooth loss, and activity limitations due to chronic disease. Individual data tables are available in an Excel file.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alana Knudson, Tess Gilbert, et al.
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Leading Health Indicators Infographics
Provides interactive data on 23 Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) from Healthy People 2030, such as health insurance status, violence reduction, health behaviors, mental health, maternal health, food security, substance use, screenings and vaccination, education and employment, oral healthcare use, and more. Users can see health disparity data breakdowns for demographic groups, with select LHIs including metro versus nonmetro comparisons. To access geographic demographic information, choose an LHI category, click "data", and select "geographic location" under "demographic group".
Sponsoring organization: Healthy People
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HDPulse Interventions Portal
Provides access to a collection of evidence-based interventions, study findings, and intervention materials focused on improving minority health and reducing health disparities. Materials can be sorted by demographic, health disparity population group, health conditions studied, community type (rural, suburban, urban, and other), and more.
Sponsoring organization: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for: