Rural Health Disparities – Resources

Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas — United States, 1999–2014
Investigates the differences in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan regions of the U.S. for the 5 leading causes of death (heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke) by analyzing and comparing mortality data derived from the National Vital Statistics System. Discusses the trends in annual age-adjusted death rates for unintentional injury for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of the U.S.
Additional links: Supplemental Maps: Figure 5, Supplemental Tables: Figures 2-5
Author(s): Ernest Moy, Macarena C. Garcia, Brigham Bastian, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(1), 1-8
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Reducing Potentially Excess Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in the Rural United States
Reports on the rural-urban disparities regarding potentially preventable deaths caused by heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease (CLRD), and stroke for populations less than 80 years of age. Discusses factors impacting the rural-urban gap, and offers suggestions for reducing these disparities and improving health. Updated in a November 2019 report.
Author(s): Macarena C. Garcia, Mark Faul, Greta Massetti, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(2), 1-7
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity
Identifies elements of effective solutions to advance health equity at the local or community level. Featured examples include the Delta Health Center, a rural Federally Qualified Health Center that uses a community-oriented primary care model to address population health. A brief overview of rural health disparities which includes a discussion on Appalachian health is found on pages 2-19 and 2-20. Appendix A provides a historical and legal context for understanding Native American health disparities.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Community Based Solutions to Promote Health Equity in the United States
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Considering Culture: Building the Best Evidence-Based Practices for Children of Color
Examines how culture impacts the effectiveness of evidence-based practices in communities of color, suggests how efficacy may be improved, and presents case studies of successful evidence-based programs for children of color. Discusses the Strong African American Families (SAAF) program in Georgia and gives a rural perspective to the issue.
Date: 2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
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Colonoscopy Access and Utilization - Rural Disparities in the Carolinas, 2001-2010
Describes the geographic distribution of colonoscopy providers, the utilization rate for colonoscopies in urban and rural populations, and the influence of the availability of colonoscopy providers on patients when seeking care in their local area for North and South Carolina using ambulatory surgery discharge data for colonoscopies from 2001-2010.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Michele Josey, Tushar Trivedi, James Hibbert, Janice C. Probst
Date: 07/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Disparities in Adolescents' Residence in Neighborhoods Supportive of Physical Activity — United States, 2011–2012
Discusses the connection between adolescents living in neighborhoods that support physical activity (have sidewalks and walking paths, parks, playgrounds, and/or recreation centers) and overall health. Identifies differences in access to neighborhoods supportive of physical activity by ethnicity and race, income level, parental education level, and rurality. Provides recommendations for community-based projects for improvement.
Author(s): Kathleen B. Watson, Carmen D. Harris, Susan A. Carlson, Joan M. Dorn, Janet E. Fulton
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 65(23), 598-601
Date: 06/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Increases in Acute Hepatitis B Virus Infections - Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia, 2006-2013
Reports on increased rates of hepatitis B infections in three Appalachian states, particularly among injection drug users and in non-urban areas.
Author(s): Aaron M. Harris, Kashif Iqbal, Sarah Schillie, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 65(3), 47-50
Date: 01/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Aging Well in the 21st Century: Strategic Directions for Research on Aging
Outlines the priorities of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Goal F focuses on improving the health status of older adults in diverse populations, including rural older adults.
Date: 2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Institute on Aging
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Mortality and Life Expectancy in Rural America: Connecting the Health and Human Service Safety Nets to Improve Health Outcomes over the Life Course
Policy brief describing the driving forces behind rural health disparities in Appalachian Kentucky. Offers nationally relevant recommendations for addressing these challenges. Discusses rural and urban differences in life expectancy and mortality rates, and other significant factors including behavioral health, substance abuse, population health, trauma care, and transportation.
Date: 10/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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The Intersection of Residence and Area Deprivation: The Case of Hospitalizations from Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions among Children
Analyzes the role of residence and community deprivation on potentially avoidable hospitalizations among children. Examines rates of potentially avoidable hospitalizations by rural/urban geography across 9 states and discusses policy and research implications of the findings. Part 2 of a 2-part series.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Nathan Hale, Janice C. Probst, Ashley Robertson
Date: 08/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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