Rural Health Disparities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Health Disparities.
The Impact of Health Disparities on the Subjective Well-Being in Rural Communities
Examines the effects of health, socioeconomic, and spatial indicators on well-being and happiness in rural areas/countryside and rural towns. Utilizes North Central Region (NCR)-Stat: Baseline Survey 2022 data to analyze well-being according to physical and mental health status, insurance status, income, work status, education level, and marital status.
Author(s): Zuzana Bednarik
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Examines the effects of health, socioeconomic, and spatial indicators on well-being and happiness in rural areas/countryside and rural towns. Utilizes North Central Region (NCR)-Stat: Baseline Survey 2022 data to analyze well-being according to physical and mental health status, insurance status, income, work status, education level, and marital status.
Author(s): Zuzana Bednarik
Date: 12/2023
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Impact of Geography and Rurality on Preconception Health Status in the United States
Examines preconception health risk and disparities in women aged 18 to 44 years according to health factors, health behaviors, and sociodemographics. Utilizes 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to assess for preconception health risk with results broken down by race, age, education, insurance status, income, rural versus urban, and regional location.
Author(s): Madison D. Haiman, Catherine Cubbin
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 11/2023
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Examines preconception health risk and disparities in women aged 18 to 44 years according to health factors, health behaviors, and sociodemographics. Utilizes 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to assess for preconception health risk with results broken down by race, age, education, insurance status, income, rural versus urban, and regional location.
Author(s): Madison D. Haiman, Catherine Cubbin
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 11/2023
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Rural Health: Addressing Barriers to Care
An infographic that presents data on rural versus urban health disparities and barriers to healthcare in rural America. Includes interactive data on percentage of rural residents by state, rural life expectancy and chronic health conditions, hospital closures and lack of access to healthcare, rural workforce shortages, and more. Provides strategies to improve rural access to healthcare.
Author(s): Carrie Cochran-McClain
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute for Health Care Management, National Rural Health Association
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An infographic that presents data on rural versus urban health disparities and barriers to healthcare in rural America. Includes interactive data on percentage of rural residents by state, rural life expectancy and chronic health conditions, hospital closures and lack of access to healthcare, rural workforce shortages, and more. Provides strategies to improve rural access to healthcare.
Author(s): Carrie Cochran-McClain
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute for Health Care Management, National Rural Health Association
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Health Outcomes, Clinical Care, Health Behaviors, and Social Determinants of Health and an Action-Oriented, Dynamic Tool for Visualizing Them
Examines county-level disparities in rural and urban health outcomes and presents a health equity dashboard depicting the disparities. Utilizes 2015 and 2019 County Health Rankings datasets to analyze measures such as health outcomes, clinical care, health behaviors, physical environment, and social and economic factors according to urban, suburban, and rural location.
Author(s): William B. Weeks, Ji E. Chang, José A. Pagán, et al.
Citation: PLOS Global Public Health, 3(10)
Date: 10/2023
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Examines county-level disparities in rural and urban health outcomes and presents a health equity dashboard depicting the disparities. Utilizes 2015 and 2019 County Health Rankings datasets to analyze measures such as health outcomes, clinical care, health behaviors, physical environment, and social and economic factors according to urban, suburban, and rural location.
Author(s): William B. Weeks, Ji E. Chang, José A. Pagán, et al.
Citation: PLOS Global Public Health, 3(10)
Date: 10/2023
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Disparities in Cancer Mortality Patterns: A Comprehensive Examination of U.S. Rural and Urban Adults, 1999–2020
Analyzes cancer mortality rates over a 20-year period to observe rural versus urban disparities. Utilizes National Center for Health Statistics data with rural versus urban data breakdowns by type of cancer, race/ethnicity, and sex.
Author(s): Itunu O. Sokale, Syed Ahsan Raza, Aaron P. Thrift
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 12(18), 18988-18998
Date: 08/2023
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Analyzes cancer mortality rates over a 20-year period to observe rural versus urban disparities. Utilizes National Center for Health Statistics data with rural versus urban data breakdowns by type of cancer, race/ethnicity, and sex.
Author(s): Itunu O. Sokale, Syed Ahsan Raza, Aaron P. Thrift
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 12(18), 18988-18998
Date: 08/2023
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Rural-Urban Differences in Health Care Unaffordability
Analyzes healthcare unaffordability in rural versus urban contexts as well as mitigating sociodemographic variables. Examines 90,761 survey responses from the 2019-2021 National Health Interview Survey according to 3 levels of unaffordability, further breaking down the data by race/ethnicity, sex, income, self-rated health, insurance type, education, age, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Daniel Mork, Stephanie Hanson, Carrie Henning Smith
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 376-385
Date: 07/2023
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Analyzes healthcare unaffordability in rural versus urban contexts as well as mitigating sociodemographic variables. Examines 90,761 survey responses from the 2019-2021 National Health Interview Survey according to 3 levels of unaffordability, further breaking down the data by race/ethnicity, sex, income, self-rated health, insurance type, education, age, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Hannah MacDougall, Daniel Mork, Stephanie Hanson, Carrie Henning Smith
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 40(2), 376-385
Date: 07/2023
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Mapping Health Disparities in 11 High-Income Nations
Analyzes 11 high-income countries, including the U.S., for geographic health disparities related to socioeconomics, affordability, and access. Discusses factors where rural residency is either protective or a risk. Compares health disparities of U.S. rural residents with those of the other countries studied.
Author(s): Neil J. MacKinnon, Vanessa Emery, Jennifer Waller, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(7)
Date: 07/2023
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Analyzes 11 high-income countries, including the U.S., for geographic health disparities related to socioeconomics, affordability, and access. Discusses factors where rural residency is either protective or a risk. Compares health disparities of U.S. rural residents with those of the other countries studied.
Author(s): Neil J. MacKinnon, Vanessa Emery, Jennifer Waller, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(7)
Date: 07/2023
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Oral Health Disparities Through the Lifespan: Challenges and Opportunities
Recording of a June 7, 2023, conference session on oral health disparities as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Equity Conference. Features a presentation from the CMS Office of the Administrator comparing differences in rural and urban dental opioid prescribing to adolescent/young adult and adult Medicaid/CHIP enrollees by patient and county characteristics. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Carla Shoff, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of the Administrator - Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Recording of a June 7, 2023, conference session on oral health disparities as part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Health Equity Conference. Features a presentation from the CMS Office of the Administrator comparing differences in rural and urban dental opioid prescribing to adolescent/young adult and adult Medicaid/CHIP enrollees by patient and county characteristics. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Carla Shoff, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of the Administrator - Presentation Slides
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Monthly Excess Mortality Across Counties in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic, March 2020 to February 2022
Analyzes all-cause excess mortality between March 2020 and February 2022 by county and month to show trends in mortality by date and location. Highlights patterns seen over time between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the trends.
Author(s): Eugenio Paglino, Dielle J. Lundberg, Zhenwei Zhou, et al.
Citation: Science Advances 9(25)
Date: 06/2023
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Analyzes all-cause excess mortality between March 2020 and February 2022 by county and month to show trends in mortality by date and location. Highlights patterns seen over time between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the trends.
Author(s): Eugenio Paglino, Dielle J. Lundberg, Zhenwei Zhou, et al.
Citation: Science Advances 9(25)
Date: 06/2023
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Diabetes Prevalence and Monitoring in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas Within a Commercially Insured U.S. Population
Explores the prevalence of diabetes in metro and nonmetro areas. Draws data from commercial insurance enrollees and compares rates of diabetes testing and outcomes by rurality.
Author(s): Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Jeffery Talbert
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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Explores the prevalence of diabetes in metro and nonmetro areas. Draws data from commercial insurance enrollees and compares rates of diabetes testing and outcomes by rurality.
Author(s): Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Jeffery Talbert
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
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