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Social Determinants of Health for Rural People – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Social Determinants of Health for Rural People.

Taking Stock: Rural People, Rural Places, Rural Housing
Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children
Discusses the factors that cause inequities and limited access to resources for young children, such as poverty, food insecurity, abuse and violence, lack of social and emotional safety, inadequate healthcare and schooling, and more. Discusses policy and practices aimed at reducing opportunity gaps, with a focus on historically disadvantaged populations, including those in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line
Examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and makes recommendations to update it to better reflect the resources available to households. Includes discussion of geographic variation in the cost of living in metropolitan versus nonmetro areas and the potential for a finer level of detail to reveal variations for expenses like housing and transportation.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness
Provides a framework for the federal government's strategic plan to prevent and reduce homelessness in the United States 25% by 2025. Discusses the current state of homelessness; feedback gained from listening sessions and public comments; disparities for LGBTQ+ persons, racial minorities, the formerly incarcerated, and those with disabilities; and the social determinants that cause homelessness. Includes strategic planning that collaborates with federal housing, mental health, and drug control agencies.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
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U.S. Poverty Rates Differ by Age and County
Presents a series of U.S. county-level maps that show poverty rates among children and older adults using American Community Service (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2017-2021.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Health Care Access in the Heartland: How to Improve Services in Rural America
Outlines strategies policymakers and community leaders in rural America can use to improve healthcare access and services. Combines data analysis of county demographics and health data with focus groups in Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Provides expert interviews to better understand healthcare access in rural communities.
Author(s): Darren Chapman, Angie Cooper, Elizabeth Dombowsky, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Forward
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Understanding and Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Opportunities to Improve Health Outcomes - A Guide for Rural Health Care Leaders
Provides an overview of knowledge, strategies, and resources regarding the impact of social determinants of health on patients and communities. Serves as a resource for rural healthcare leaders to lead and support the education of front-line staff and discussions on addressing social determinants of health. Focuses on understanding the needs and opportunities to address social determinants of health, using local data to support decision-making, and involving team members to plan and implement action steps.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Assessment of Strategies Used in US Hospitals to Address Social Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presents findings on efforts to address social determinants of health (SDOH) by rural hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), and safety-net hospitals according to 2020 American Hospital Association survey data. Discusses rates of social needs among patient populations served by rural and urban hospitals and rates of SDOH screening and community partnerships.
Author(s): Jose F. Figueroa, Ciara Duggan, Cristina Toledo-Cornell, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 3(10), e223764
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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Rural Young Women Show Increases in Higher Educational Attainment Compared to Rural Young Men
Stacked bar charts showing educational attainment for young women (age 25-34) in 1990 and 2020 and for young men (age 25-34) in 1990 and 2020.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Impact of Social Vulnerability on Comorbid Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in the United States
Examines racial and social disparities as related to cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Utilizes 2015-2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) database to analyze mortality rates and 2014-2018 data from the CDC's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to estimate the respective county-level social vulnerability index (SVI). Includes demographic breakdowns of mortality rates according to age, sex, race/ethnicity, and large metropolitan, medium small metropolitan, or micropolitan/noncore (nonmetropolitan) location.
Author(s): Sarju Ganatra, Sourbha S. Dani, Ashish Kumar, et al.
Citation: Journal of American College of Cardiology: CardioOncology, 4(3), 326-337
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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Last Updated: 4/4/2024