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Rural Health Information Hub

Social Determinants of Health for Rural People – Resources

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

Income and Poverty in the United States: 2020
Reports on income levels and poverty rates for 2019 and 2020, along with the percent change from 2019 to 2020. Includes statistics for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on data from the 2021 and earlier Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplements.
Author(s): Emily A. Shrider, Melissa Kollar, Frances Chen, Jessica Semega
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Some Digital Divides Persist Between Rural, Urban, and Suburban America
Highlights differences in broadband access and digital technology adoption, such as smart phone, tablet, or computer, between rural, urban and suburban residents of the U.S.
Author(s): Emily A. Vogels
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Pew Research Center
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A Qualitative Assessment of Barriers and Facilitators Associated with Addressing Social Determinants of Health among Members of a Health Collaborative in the Rural Midwest
Examines capacities and barriers in addressing social determinants of health for patients in rural Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin based on interviews from 37 participants of a healthcare collaborative. Discusses specific needs of rural providers, including access to community-based social services, aligned payment models, and capacity for collaboration, among others.
Author(s): Kim Nichols Dauner, Lacey Loomer
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 21
Date: 08/2021
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Rural Poverty Has Distinct Regional and Racial Patterns
Describes the findings of a study of persistent poverty, examining the prevalence of poverty in Appalachia, the Black Belt, the Mississippi Delta, the U.S.-Mexico border, and on Native American lands. Discusses the impacts of persistent poverty on access to healthcare, food access, social programs, and other support services.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Leveraging Evidence-Based Policies to Improve Health, Control Costs, and Create Health Equity
Explores healthcare access for various populations, including people living in rural communities. Discusses strategies and policies focused on access to healthcare, economic mobility, affordable housing, safe learning environments for young adults and children, and health-promoting excise taxes.
Author(s): Adam Lustig, Marilyn Cabrera
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Exploring the Role of Critical Health Literacy in Addressing the Social Determinants of Health
Brief reporting on a workshop held by the Roundtable on Health Literacy that explored Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and health literacy to serve vulnerable communities. Discusses SDOH models, research methods to engage communities, and critical health literacy. Project examples include work with rural Native American communities.
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Patterns in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage, by Social Vulnerability and Urbanicity — United States, December 14, 2020–May 1, 2021
Examines vaccination coverage by rurality and social vulnerability. Includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas for four levels of social vulnerability and by type of vulnerability, based on the CDC social vulnerability index (SVI).
Author(s): Vaughn Barry, Sharoda Dasgupta, Daniel L. Weller, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(22), 818-824
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Poverty Rates by Metro/Nonmetro Residence, 1959-2019
Line chart showing metropolitan and nonmetropolitan poverty rates over time.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Poverty Rates by Age Group and Metro/Nonmetro Residence, 2019
Bar chart showing metropolitan and nonmetro poverty rates for all ages, for children under 5, children under 18, adults aged 18-64, and seniors over 65.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Impact of Socioeconomic Status, Race and Ethnicity, and Geography on Prenatal Detection of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Transposition of the Great Arteries
Results of a study of 1,862 prenatal and postnatal patients from 21 North American cardiology centers, to determine whether socioeconomic and geographic factors were correlated with lower rates of prenatal detection of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) and transposition of the great arteries (TGA). Also compares social determinants of health between the U.S. and Canada due to different healthcare systems. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural or nonrural location.
Author(s): Anita Krishnan, Marni B. Jacobs, Shaine A. Morris, et al.
Citation: Circulation, 143(20), 2049-2060
Date: 05/2021
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Last Updated: 4/23/2025