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Resources by Topic: Appalachia

Ambulance Deserts: Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services
Chartbook presenting data on ambulance deserts from 41 states in 2021-2022, and identifying places and people that are more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station. Include maps of ambulance desert locations and health care facility locations for every state with available data, and documents coverage gaps in the provision of ambulance services across geographic areas across the United States.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Carly Milkowski, Zachariah Croll, Karen Pearson
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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The Development of Accessible and Sustainable Transgender Health Education for Rural-Serving Medical Providers in Appalachia
Presents the results of a project to develop and implement a cultural competency training program for rural-serving medical residents focused on transgender primary healthcare in South Central Appalachia – an area that is medically under-resourced and experiences intersectional discrimination. The Kern Model medical curriculum and data from clinic stakeholders, residents, and transgender community members were utilized in the development of this training program. Highlights the value of virtual training providing increased accessibility for rural clinics.
Author(s): Rebecca Altschuler, Abbey K. Mann
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7827
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
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A Qualitative Analysis of Rural Syringe Service Program Fidelity in Appalachian Kentucky: Staff and Participant Perspectives
Presents a study exploring the fidelity of rural syringe service programs (SSPs) to the core components of SSPs. Highlights five SSPs in rural Appalachia and evaluates the programs' adherence to the six core components of SSPs. Bases findings on interviews with clients and staff.
Author(s): E.J. Batty, U. Ibragimov, M. Fadanelli, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(2), 328-337
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Adult Asthma Associated with Roadway Density and Housing in Rural Appalachia: The Mountain Air Project (MAP)
Describes the Mountain Air Project (MAP) in rural Appalachia and the relationship between asthma and small area environmental exposures, such as roadways, mining operations, oil and gas wells, and more. Includes maps showing geographic distribution of potential environmental health exposures as well as data of citizens with asthma broken down by demographic information, housing status, health behaviors, and environmental exposures.
Author(s): W. Jay Christian, John Flunker, Beverly May, et al.
Citation: Environmental Health, 22, 28
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Perspectives on the Long of COVID: From Doomscrolling to Rural Management Strategies
An overview of how Long COVID is impacting rural areas. Features a Tennessee rural health researcher sharing his Long COVID experience and a rural New York healthcare system discussing the condition's management options.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Association between Grandparents as Caregivers and Overdose Mortality in Appalachia and Non-Appalachia Counties
Evaluates associations between drug overdose mortality and grandparents as primary caregivers of children in Appalachian and non-Appalachian counties using national datasets from the period 2015-2019. Covers factors associated with grandparents as primary caregivers, including demographics, uninsured population, and rurality. Discusses the impact of high rates of kinship care and opioid use disorder in rural and Appalachian areas.
Author(s): Kate E. Beatty, Stephanie M. Mathis, Abby R. McCurry, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1035564
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Over the Hills and Through the Hollers: How One Program is Assisting Residents of Appalachia with Opioid Use Recovery
Results of a study evaluating the Kentucky Access to Recovery Program (KATR), which provides services to low-income adults recovering from opioid addiction in several rural eastern Kentucky counties. Examines the impact of KATR on service recipients' access to recovery services and supports.
Author(s): Aubrey E. Jones, Jayme E. Walters, Aaron R. Brown
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 4(3), 71-86
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Association of First Primary Cancer with Risk of Subsequent Primary Cancer among Survivors of Adult-Onset Cancers in Kentucky and Appalachian Kentucky
Evaluated 148,509 Kentucky first primary cancer survivors to determine risk of subsequent primary cancers. Compared outcomes for rural Appalachian residents with urban non-Appalachian residents as well as other variables such as cancer type, gender, and more.
Author(s): Quan Chen, Bin Huang, Abigail M. Anderson, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Oncology, 13
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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Appalachian Employment Lagged Rest of United States from 2001 to 2021
Compares growth of employment in Appalachia from 2001-2021 with counties that neighbor Appalachia and counties in the rest of the United States. Features a county-level map with shadings indicating percent change in annual average employment.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Adaptation and Study Protocol of the Evidence-based Make Better Choices (Mbc2) Multiple Diet and Activity Change Intervention for a Rural Appalachian Population
Details the development of the Make Better Choices 2 (MBC2) mHealth diet and activity randomized trial and how it is being adapted for rural Appalachia. Outlines the adaptation process conducted in Appalachian Kentucky and subsequent revisions to the recruitment, retention, assessment, and intervention components of the study. Discusses the need for culturally appropriate research to reach underserved populations and achieve health equity.
Author(s): Nancy E. Schoenberg, Deanna Sherman, Angela Fidler Pfammatter, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 2043
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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