Rural Project Examples Addressing Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention

Updated/reviewed December 2019

Need: To educate youth about obesity and healthy lifestyle choices.
Intervention: An educational program about healthy living was implemented in Lincoln and Claiborne Parishes in Louisiana for youth ages 9-18.
Results: Youth4Health program produced greater awareness and participation in healthier lifestyles by target youth and their families, as well as church congregations.

Updated/reviewed June 2024

Need: To increase access to health information in low-income and rural communities throughout the Midwest.
Intervention: The University of Missouri School of Information Science & Learning Technologies developed Catalysts for Community Health (C4CH), an interdisciplinary program designed to train Master of Library and Information Science students to expand health information resources for underserved communities.
Results: The cohort of 10 students graduated in summer of 2022.

Updated/reviewed June 2024

Need: To address food insecurity and limited access to healthy foods among Indigenous elders living in tribal nations in Wisconsin.
Intervention: The Tribal Elder Food Box Program distributes biweekly boxes filled with culturally relevant, locally-sourced meat, produce, and shelf-stable foods to elders in all 11 federally recognized tribal nations in Wisconsin – 10 of which are located in rural areas.
Results: In 2023, the program distributed 28,500 boxes and purchased a majority of food products from Indigenous producers and growers.

Added May 2024

Need: To expand healthcare access in rural Alabama communities.
Intervention: The Auburn University Rural Health Initiative is working with communities across Alabama to develop a healthcare model that includes primary care, substance use disorder treatment and mental health treatment via state-of-the-art telehealth technologies, coupled with health and wellness programs and services provided by faculty and students.
Results: The first telehealth care station, located in LaFayette, Alabama, began offering services in April 2023. Within the first year after opening, clinicians in the telehealth station conducted 592 patient consultations and issued 720 prescriptions.

Updated/reviewed January 2024

Need: To promote mental health and prevent substance use disorders in rural Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska.
Intervention: Coast to Forest strengthens local capacity through training, education, and community partnerships.
Results: In its three years of operation, the project has trained over 500 individuals across the Pacific Northwest in Mental Health First Aid, developed 36 county-level resource guides, organized a series of Community Conversations in three rural Oregon counties, and more.

Updated/reviewed January 2024

Need: Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) across the state of South Carolina were purchasing breast milk from out-of-state milk banks for preterm infants.
Intervention: The Mother's Milk Bank of South Carolina (MMBSC) opened 26 sites in South Carolina for breast milk to be donated, safely pasteurized, and delivered to NICUs across the state.
Results: Over 19,178,739 ounces of milk have been donated to MMBSC depot sites and over 13,830,600 ounces of milk have been delivered to South Carolina NICUs.

Updated/reviewed January 2024

Need: To educate people in rural Virginia who either have diabetes or are considered at high risk for developing it.
Intervention: Teleconferencing technology is used to offer diabetes education programs to people with diabetes or those at high risk for developing it. Health professionals are also indirectly trained in diabetes care and management.
Results: Participants reported better prevention practices and/or self-management of diabetes after being thoroughly educated about this condition.

Updated/reviewed December 2023

Need: Drowning was a leading cause of death for children in Alaska.
Intervention: Cold Water Safety and Survival for Educators workshops were developed in 1998, with help from a 4-year federal grant, to train educators to provide education and hands-on skills for school children and members of the public.
Results: The safety program was integrated into about 50% of Alaskan school curriculum and schools in other states, helping to train hundreds of educators and thousands of children on the importance of cold water safety.

Updated/reviewed December 2023

Need: To provide HIV testing in rural areas while navigating around HIV stigma.
Intervention: A pilot study to provide HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) rapid tests and then offer an HIV rapid test as well.
Results: An increase in the number of people tested for HCV and HIV.

Updated/reviewed November 2023

Need: To improve people's health in a rural 16-county region in Illinois.
Intervention: A coalition of local health departments and healthcare facilities coordinates regional efforts, which are implemented locally by health community coalitions.
Results: HSIDN has created toolkits, developed resource guides, and provided wellness trainings, among other initiatives.

Rural Project Examples: Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention