Rural Health Disparities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Health Disparities.
Urban-Rural Differences in Coronary Heart Disease Mortality in the United States: 1999-2009
Describes the trends and magnitude of variations in death rates, with statistical breakdowns by age group, sex, race, geographical region, urbanization level, and year. Examines possible contributing factors for the disparities, including physical activity levels, access to healthcare, socioeconomic status, and education level.
Author(s): Ambar Kulshreshtha, Abhinav Goyal, Kaustubh Dabhadkar, Emir Veledar, Viola Vaccarino
Citation: Public Health Reports, 129(1), 19-29
Date: 01/2014
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Describes the trends and magnitude of variations in death rates, with statistical breakdowns by age group, sex, race, geographical region, urbanization level, and year. Examines possible contributing factors for the disparities, including physical activity levels, access to healthcare, socioeconomic status, and education level.
Author(s): Ambar Kulshreshtha, Abhinav Goyal, Kaustubh Dabhadkar, Emir Veledar, Viola Vaccarino
Citation: Public Health Reports, 129(1), 19-29
Date: 01/2014
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Ancel Keys Lecture: Adventures (and Misadventures) in Understanding (and Reducing) Disparities in Stroke Mortality
Discusses the racial and geographic disparities in stroke mortality in the U.S. with a goal of determining which intervention methods will best reduce disparities.
Author(s): George Howard
Citation: Stroke, 44(11), 3254-3259
Date: 11/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Discusses the racial and geographic disparities in stroke mortality in the U.S. with a goal of determining which intervention methods will best reduce disparities.
Author(s): George Howard
Citation: Stroke, 44(11), 3254-3259
Date: 11/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Rural Residence and Cancer Outcomes in the US: Issues and Challenges
Analyzes the current literature regarding outcomes of cancer patients who live in rural locations. Discusses several methods of defining rural.
Author(s): Ashley Meilleur, S.V. Subramanian, Jesse J. Plascak, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 22(10), 1657-1667
Date: 10/2013
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Analyzes the current literature regarding outcomes of cancer patients who live in rural locations. Discusses several methods of defining rural.
Author(s): Ashley Meilleur, S.V. Subramanian, Jesse J. Plascak, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 22(10), 1657-1667
Date: 10/2013
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Quality of Life among Patients with COPD
Compares the health status of rural and urban patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and identifies the factors associated with differences in two different locations.
Author(s): Bradford E. Jackson, David B. Coultas, Sumihiro Suzuki, Karan P. Singh, Sejong Bae
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 29(1), 62-69
Date: 08/2013
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Compares the health status of rural and urban patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and identifies the factors associated with differences in two different locations.
Author(s): Bradford E. Jackson, David B. Coultas, Sumihiro Suzuki, Karan P. Singh, Sejong Bae
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 29(1), 62-69
Date: 08/2013
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All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among US Youth: Socioeconomic and Rural-Urban Disparities and International Patterns
Analyzes the socioeconomic and rural-urban disparities in all-cause mortality and mortality from leading causes of death, including homicide, suicide, unintentional injuries, and HIV/AIDS, among U.S. youth aged 15–24.
Author(s): Gopal K. Singh, Romuladus E. Azuine, Mohammad Siahpush, Michael D. Kogan
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 90(3), 388-405
Date: 06/2013
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Analyzes the socioeconomic and rural-urban disparities in all-cause mortality and mortality from leading causes of death, including homicide, suicide, unintentional injuries, and HIV/AIDS, among U.S. youth aged 15–24.
Author(s): Gopal K. Singh, Romuladus E. Azuine, Mohammad Siahpush, Michael D. Kogan
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 90(3), 388-405
Date: 06/2013
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Rural Women's Health
Provides information and statistics on the state of women's health in rural America and how legislation and national trends can affect women's health.
Author(s): Kevin J. Bennett, John E. Lopes Jr., Kathleen Spencer, Saskia van Hecke
Date: 01/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Provides information and statistics on the state of women's health in rural America and how legislation and national trends can affect women's health.
Author(s): Kevin J. Bennett, John E. Lopes Jr., Kathleen Spencer, Saskia van Hecke
Date: 01/2013
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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An Analysis of Oral Health Disparities and Access to Services in the Appalachian Region
Analyzes disparities in oral health status and access to oral healthcare in the Appalachian Region. Examines relationships between oral health disparities and socioeconomic status indicators. Focuses on aiding efforts to develop targeted interventions to reduce disparities in Appalachia.
Author(s): Denise D. Krause, Warren L. May, Nancy M. Lane, et al.
Date: 12/2011
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Analyzes disparities in oral health status and access to oral healthcare in the Appalachian Region. Examines relationships between oral health disparities and socioeconomic status indicators. Focuses on aiding efforts to develop targeted interventions to reduce disparities in Appalachia.
Author(s): Denise D. Krause, Warren L. May, Nancy M. Lane, et al.
Date: 12/2011
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Discharge Instructions, Readmission, and Mortality
Analyzes discharge, readmission, payment, and mortality data in hospitals by patient-physician communication and health condition. Includes interactive data visualizations comparing metro and nonmetro differences at the county level. Offers a video tutorial for interacting with the data.
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Analyzes discharge, readmission, payment, and mortality data in hospitals by patient-physician communication and health condition. Includes interactive data visualizations comparing metro and nonmetro differences at the county level. Offers a video tutorial for interacting with the data.
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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COPD Risk Factors and Rurality
Analyzes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rate data by obesity, smoking, uninsured status, premature mortality, and race and ethnicity. Includes interactive data visualizations comparing metro and nonmetro differences at the county level. Offers a video tutorial for interacting with the data.
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Analyzes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rate data by obesity, smoking, uninsured status, premature mortality, and race and ethnicity. Includes interactive data visualizations comparing metro and nonmetro differences at the county level. Offers a video tutorial for interacting with the data.
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource 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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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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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: 5/28/2025