Social Determinants of Health for Rural People – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Social Determinants of Health for Rural People.
Income and Rural–Urban Status Moderate the Association Between Income Inequality and Life Expectancy in US Census Tracts
Examines how income inequality and life expectancy (LE) are impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) and rural versus urban status at the census-tract level. Utilizes 2010-2015 data to examine the relationship of LE to SES, urbanicity, and other sociodemographic factors. Presents the data through descriptive statistics, figures, and graphs.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Caitlin C. Nash, Erin N. Byrne, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 42, 24
Date: 03/2023
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Examines how income inequality and life expectancy (LE) are impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) and rural versus urban status at the census-tract level. Utilizes 2010-2015 data to examine the relationship of LE to SES, urbanicity, and other sociodemographic factors. Presents the data through descriptive statistics, figures, and graphs.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Caitlin C. Nash, Erin N. Byrne, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 42, 24
Date: 03/2023
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Integration of Case-Based Dialogue to Enhance Medical Students' Understanding of Using Health Communication to Address Social Determinants of Health
Examines the impact of case-based social determinants of health (SDOH) curriculum on third year medical student knowledge related to SDOH and willingness to care for patients with various cultural differences and needs. Analyzes pre- and post-test survey answers from 640 medical students about their SDOH perceptions and knowledge, including confidence levels in working with rural and medically underresourced patients.
Author(s): Jalysa King, Jennifer Taylor
Citation: Advances in Medical Education and Practice,14, 237-244
Date: 03/2023
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Examines the impact of case-based social determinants of health (SDOH) curriculum on third year medical student knowledge related to SDOH and willingness to care for patients with various cultural differences and needs. Analyzes pre- and post-test survey answers from 640 medical students about their SDOH perceptions and knowledge, including confidence levels in working with rural and medically underresourced patients.
Author(s): Jalysa King, Jennifer Taylor
Citation: Advances in Medical Education and Practice,14, 237-244
Date: 03/2023
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Your Neighborhood Matters: An Ecological Social Determinant Study of the Relationship Between Residential Racial Segregation And the Risk of Firearm Fatalities
Examines the impact of county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) on firearm fatalities. Analyzes 802 firearm fatalities that occurred in Wisconsin counties in 2019 and their relationship to SDOH, such as segregation, income inequality, community resilience, and rural versus urban classification. Includes county-level maps depicting geographic distribution of segregation and firearm fatalities per 100,000 people.
Author(s): Abdul R. Shour, Ronald Anguzu, Yuhong Zhou, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 10, 14
Date: 03/2023
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Examines the impact of county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) on firearm fatalities. Analyzes 802 firearm fatalities that occurred in Wisconsin counties in 2019 and their relationship to SDOH, such as segregation, income inequality, community resilience, and rural versus urban classification. Includes county-level maps depicting geographic distribution of segregation and firearm fatalities per 100,000 people.
Author(s): Abdul R. Shour, Ronald Anguzu, Yuhong Zhou, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 10, 14
Date: 03/2023
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Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Health: A Longitudinal Analysis of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in US Counties From 2009 to 2018
Analyzes how social determinants of health (SDOH) are related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality over time. Analyzes county-level data of 17 SDOH from 2009 to 2018 which are further broken down by rural versus urban status.
Author(s): Heejung Son, Donglan Zhang, Ye Shen, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 12(2)
Date: 01/2023
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Analyzes how social determinants of health (SDOH) are related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality over time. Analyzes county-level data of 17 SDOH from 2009 to 2018 which are further broken down by rural versus urban status.
Author(s): Heejung Son, Donglan Zhang, Ye Shen, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 12(2)
Date: 01/2023
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Rural Healthy People 2030
Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Efforts by Critical Access Hospitals to Increase Health Equity Through Greater Engagement with Social Determinants of Health
Examines the ways Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) engage in upstream social determinant of health (SDOH) efforts to improve community health. Analyzes CAH and non-CAH programs that utilize screening, in-house strategies, and external partnerships to address SDOH. Discusses the impacts of SDOH policy on CAHs in rural communities.
Author(s): Bethany Lemont, Neeraj Puro, Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 728-736
Date: 2023
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Examines the ways Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) engage in upstream social determinant of health (SDOH) efforts to improve community health. Analyzes CAH and non-CAH programs that utilize screening, in-house strategies, and external partnerships to address SDOH. Discusses the impacts of SDOH policy on CAHs in rural communities.
Author(s): Bethany Lemont, Neeraj Puro, Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 728-736
Date: 2023
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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
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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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
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
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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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
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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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
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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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
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
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Forward
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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
Sponsoring organization: Heartland Forward
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Educational attainment
- Employment and unemployment
- Environmental health
- Health literacy
- Housing and homelessness
- Income
- Infrastructure
- Poverty
- Social determinants of health
Last Updated: 4/4/2025