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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: California

Rural Household Food Insecurity among Latino Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Investigates impacts of COVID-19 on food insecurity among Latino immigrant families in rural areas of California. Utilizes interviews from 31 participants to examine barriers to food access including transportation, school closures, and lack of convenience. Discusses mitigation efforts related to food insecurity such as government and charitable programs.
Author(s): Denise Diaz Payán, Fabiola Perez-Lua, Sidra Goldman-Mellor, Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young
Citation: Nutrients, 14(13)
Date: 07/2022
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Supporting Communities and Local Public Health Departments During COVID-19 and Beyond: A Roadmap for Equitable and Transformative Change
Examines strategies to strengthen public health systems in California to create more equitable and resilient communities. Utilizes interview and survey data from community and public health stakeholders as well as reviews of policy and best practices. Includes discussions about collaborating along local, regional, and state levels to improve healthcare in rural and underserved areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Public Health Alliance of Southern California, Public Health Institute
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A Spatio-Demographic Perspective on the Role of Social Determinants of Health and Chronic Disease in Determining a Population's Vulnerability to COVID-19
Examines the relationship between potential social determinants of health (SDOH), COVID-19, and chronic disease in San Diego County, California, with comparisons among the county's subregional areas which range from urban in the west to rural in the east. Explores which socioeconomic factors associated with COVID-19 and chronic disease rates are potential SDOH. Discusses whether spatial modeling of chronic disease rates can identify communities most vulnerable to COVID-19.
Author(s): Jessica Embury, Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Atsushi Nara, Eyal Oren
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 06/2022
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Mapping Mobility: Utilizing Local-Knowledge-Derived Activity Space to Estimate Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution among Individuals Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness
Analyzes air pollution exposure for individuals experiencing homelessness in semi-rural areas. Utilizes local knowledge mapping of 62 unhoused participants to estimate the amount of fine particulate matter (PM) exposure. Discusses research methods to appropriately measure air pollution for vulnerable populations in rural and semi-rural areas.
Author(s): Maeve G. MacMurdo, Karen B. Mulloy, Daniel A. Culver, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(10), 5842
Date: 05/2022
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Perceptions of the Coronavirus and COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination in Latinx and Indigenous Mexican Immigrant Communities in the Eastern Coachella Valley
Examines social determinants of health (SDOH) and socio-cultural perceptions of COVID-19 spread, testing, and vaccination among Latinx and indigenous Mexican farm-working communities in the rural borderland of Eastern Coachella Valley. Discusses data from 55 focus group participants about themes of misinformation, distrust of institutions, and employment and residency instability.
Author(s): Daniel Gehlbach, Evelyn Vázquez, Gabriela Ortiz, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22
Date: 05/2022
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Work-Life Stress During the Coronavirus Pandemic among Latina Farmworkers in a Rural California Region
Study examining work-related stress among Latina farmworkers in the U.S.-Mexico region of California. Discusses issues related to work environment, work-home demands, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Latina farmworkers based on surveys of 77 individuals.
Author(s): Annie J. Keeney, Amy Quandt, Daniela Flores, Luis Flores, Jr.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(8), 4928
Date: 04/2022
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Intraregional Tribal Transportation Strategy
Report highlights a strategy for connecting rural tribal lands with access to transit in the San Diego region of California. Details the project's collaboration with local transit agencies and tribal governments.
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organizations: San Diego Association of Governments, Southern California Tribal Chairman's Association
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Assessing the Health Outcomes of the Food Access Pilot Project: An Evaluation of a Medically Supportive Food Support Program for People Living with HIV in Rural California Counties
Examines the effect of the Food Access Pilot Project (FAPP), which provided prepared meals or meal kits to food-insecure HIV-positive people, on HIV viral load, CD4 count, and food security among 158 participants in California's Humboldt, Napa, and San Joaquin counties.
Author(s): Linda Yu, Amee Madura, Claudia Gil, Paul Hepfer, Kartika Palar
Citation: AIDS and Behavior, 26, 2613-2622
Date: 02/2022
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Occupational Stressors and Access to COVID-19 Resources among Commuting and Residential Hispanic/Latino Farmworkers in a US-Mexico Border Region
Highlights a study on occupational stress during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by farmworkers who commute daily from Mexico to the U.S. Breaks down data by personal characteristics, such as age, country of birth, and COVID-19 vaccination rates, among others.
Author(s): Annie Jane Keeney, Amy Quandt, Mercy D. Villaseñor, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 763
Date: 01/2022
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Medi-Cal Specialty Mental Health External Quality Review: FY 2021-22 Statewide Report
Reports on an external review of all 56 county Mental Health Plans (MHPs) that are contracted to provide specialty mental health services to California Medicaid beneficiaries, including breakdowns for rural areas. Discusses challenges meeting demand and recruiting and retaining healthcare providers. Highlights access to services through telehealth; timeliness of providing service and tracking timeliness; quality management; and information systems.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: California Department of Health Care Services
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