Rural Health Disparities – Resources

Appalachian Diseases of Despair
Provides information on Appalachian mortality disparities due to overdose, suicide, and alcoholic liver disease/cirrhosis among people ages 15-64. Utilizes data from the 2022 Multiple Cause of Death database broken down by Appalachian state, region, sex, and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan status.
Date: 08/2024
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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Place-Based, Intersectional Variation in Caregiving Patterns and Health Outcomes Among Informal Caregivers in the United States
Examines the correlation between informal caregivers' health and well-being and race/ethnicity, sex, and rural-urban status. Utilizes 2021-2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to analyze rural versus urban differences in informal caregiver demographics, type and time spent caregiving, and health status.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Caitlin C. Nash, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12
Date: 08/2024
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Examining U.S. Disparities in Smoking among Rural Versus Urban Women of Reproductive Age: 2002–2019
Examines rural and urban trends in cigarette smoking prevalence and first-time quit ratios among adult women aged 18-44, utilizing 2002-2019 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. Includes data on pregnant and non-pregnant women. Discusses the significance of smoking behaviors and access to cessation support for multigenerational rural health disparities.
Author(s): Stephen T. Higgins, Tyler Erath, Fang-Fang Chen
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 108115
Date: 08/2024
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Examining Rurality and Social Determinants of Health among Women with GDM: A 15-Year Comprehensive Population Analysis
Examines maternal demographic characteristics, including rurality, and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) development over time. Utilizes birth record vital statistics of 589,605 women with live births in Kansas from 2005 to 2019. Compares rural and urban trends in maternal overweight, obesity, and GDM.
Author(s): Umama Ali, Laila Cure, Rhonda K. Lewis, et al.
Citation: BMC Women's Health, 24, 467
Date: 08/2024
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Discharge Disposition for Home Health Care Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia: The Role of Living Arrangements and Rural Living
Examines rural versus urban differences in living arrangements and their impact on discharge disposition of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). Analyzes 531,269 Medicare fee-for-service patient records with data breakdowns for living arrangement, such as living alone, living at home with others, or living in a congregate setting, as well as sociodemographic and health condition variables. Discusses rural versus urban disparities when a patient discharges to their community or an institution and the impact of social support on ADRD patients.
Author(s): Daniel Jung, Jeong Ha (Steph) Choi, Kerstin Gerst Emerson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1)
Date: 08/2024
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Disparities Impact Statement
Guidance through a 5 step process for healthcare providers and other healthcare focused organizations to identify and address health disparities among various people groups including rural and tribal communities.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Trends in Pancreatic Cancer Mortality in the United States 1999–2020: A CDC Database Population-Based Study
Examines trends in pancreatic cancer mortality by age, sex, race, level of rurality, and geographic region. Utilizes 1999-2020 CDC WONDER data. Compares mortality over time among rural, suburban, and urban populations, with additional data on Black rural, Black urban, White rural, and White urban populations.
Author(s): Alexander J. Didier, Swamroop Nandwani, Alan M. Fahoury, et al.
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 2024
Date: 08/2024
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The Rural Mortality Penalty in U.S. Hospital Patients with COVID-19
Examines whether rural-urban disparities in patient condition at hospital admission affect all-cause mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 2020 to February 2023, utilizing Epic Cosmos data of 1,119,199 patients. Provides data on rural versus urban differences in patient condition at admission, overall health, vaccination status, age, and other demographics. Discusses factors associated with reduced access to care in rural areas.
Author(s): Jeffrey A. Thompson, Dinesh Pal Mudaranthakam, Lynn Chollet-Hinton
Citation: Population Health Metrics, 22, 20
Date: 08/2024
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Community-Level Factors and their Associations with Changing Opioid Overdose Fatality Rates in Kentucky, 2019–2021
Identifies associations between community-level factors and opioid overdose fatality rates in Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky counties, and examines how these associations have changed from 2019 to 2021. Discusses societal changes that occurred due to COVID-19, including social isolation, and which may be linked to an increase in overdose deaths. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, adjacent-to-metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Shawn R. Nigam, Philip M. Westgate, Svetla Slavova, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Katherine L. Thompson
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(1), 90-115
Date: 07/2024
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Provision of Stroke Care Services by Community Disadvantage Status in the US, 2009-2022
Results of a study of 5,055 hospitals, examining the association of community socioeconomic disadvantage with likelihood of nearby hospitals adopting stroke center certification from 2009-2022. Features statistics including hospital characteristics during the study period, with breakdown by rural location.
Author(s): Renee Y. Hsia, Nandita Sarkar, Yu-Chu Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(7), e2421010
Date: 07/2024
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