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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Cancer

A Bivariate Mapping Tutorial for Cancer Control Resource Allocation Decisions and Interventions
Discusses the utility of geographic information systems software (ArcGIS) with public health data to inform resource allocation and public health interventions for cancer control planning. Provides step-by-step guidance for developing a bivariate choropleth map (map of two variables) using county data from South Carolina's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for cervical cancer screening, and data on the availability of cervical cancer screening providers in South Carolina's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
Author(s): Claire Biesecker, Whitney E. Zahnd, Heather M. Brandt, Swann Arp Adams, Jan M. Eberth
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
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Border Health Status Report of the 44 U.S. Counties at the U.S.- Mexico Border
A review of selected 20 topic health indicators using public use data obtained from 44 counties, mostly rural, located along the U.S.-Mexico border region and within the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Offers health indicator data for selected measurable objectives having baseline data on overall mortality, and mortality rates for diabetes, heart disease, cervical cancer, breast cancer, unintentional injuries, and road traffic-related. Health indicator data is also provided for non-measurable objectives, due to a lack of baseline data, on asthma, maternal mortality, gonorrhea, and congenital syphilis.
Author(s): Nicole Baker, Nicole Baker, Juan Albertorio, Alfonso Rodríguez-Lainz
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United States-México Border Health Commission
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Cancer in Michigan 2020
Provides an overview of Michigan's cancer burden with data showing cancer rates by race, gender, and type of cancer, as well as mortality rates and cancer incidence by county. Includes rural versus urban comparisons of health behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and cancer screenings.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
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Factors Associated with Not Receiving HPV Vaccine among Adolescents by Metropolitan Statistical Area Status, United States, National Immunization Survey–Teen, 2016–2017
Examines 2016 and 2017 data from the National Immunization Survey - Teen (NIS-Teen) to better understand the sociodemographic factors for adolescents not initiating the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series, including by metropolitan statistical area (MSA) status. Table 1 shares data on several sociodemographic and healthcare access factors by MSA for teens aged 13-17 that did not receive an HPV vaccine, including age, sex, immigration status, region of the U.S., parental information, vaccination facility type, and more.
Author(s): Charnetta L. Williams, Tanja Y. Walker, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, et al.
Citation: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 16(3), 562-572
Date: 2020
Type: Document
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Factors Associated with Lung Cancer Screening in Urban vs. Rural Individuals at Risk for Lung Cancer
Presentation slides on a study investigating rural/urban differences in Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) cancer screening. Study participants included current and former smokers ages 55-80 with a smoking history of 30 or more years.
Author(s): Anja Zgodic, Gabriel Benavidez, Whitney Zahnd, Jan Eberth
Date: 2020
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Introducing the L.A.U.N.C.H Collaborative
Describes the Linking & Amplifying User-Centered Networks through Connected Health (L.A.U.N.C.H.) demonstration project, based in Appalachian Kentucky and aimed at preventing cancer and removing obstacles faced by cancer patients in rural and underserved areas, through improvements in broadband access.
Author(s): F. Douglas Scutchfield, Kevin Patrick
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 2(1), 1-5
Date: 2020
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Differences in Financial Burden among Cancer Survivors: An Analysis of a Nationally Representative Survey
Analyzes 2012, 2014, and 2017 data from the National Cancer Institute's Health Information and National Trends Survey to determine differences in reported financial problems due to cancer in rural and urban populations. Table 1 provides a rural and urban comparison on several demographic and cancer characteristics, including gender, age, marital status, race and ethnicity, income, insurance status, and several factors related to cancer treatment.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Melinda M. Davis, Jason S. Rotter, et al.
Citation: Supportive Care in Cancer, 27(12), 4779-4786
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
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Challenges of Using Nationally Representative, Population-Based Surveys to Assess Rural Cancer Disparities
Examines research methods in studies of rural cancer-related health behaviors and disparities, exploring the definition of "rural" in population-based national surveys, complications for rural cancer studies, and possible solutions to improve survey accuracy. Discusses prominent data sources, including the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS), and the National Cancer Institute's Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), and examines use of these data sources in 68 published studies.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Natoshia Askelson, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Preventative Medicine, 129 Supplement, 105812
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
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Mortality-to-Incidence Ratios by U.S. Congressional District: Implications for Epidemiologic, Dissemination and Implementation Research, and Public Health Policy
Analyzes congressional district-specific mortality-to-incidence ratios (MIR) between 2011 and 2015 for all cancers and for cancers of breast, cervix, colorectal, esophagus, lung, oral, pancreas, and prostate cancers. Compares MIRs across regions, state Medicaid expansion status, race, and rurality. Discusses implications for policymakers and researchers.
Author(s): Jan M. Eberth, Whitney E. Zahnd, Swann Arp Adams, et al.
Citation: Preventative Medicine, 129(S), 105849
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
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Understanding Primary Care Providers' Perceptions of Cancer Prevention and Screening in a Predominantly Rural Healthcare System in the Upper Midwest
Study examining primary care provider experiences and perceptions of using electronic medical record (EMR) systems for cancer prevention. Discusses survey data from 36 primary care clinics to evaluate EMR systems as prevention tools.
Author(s): Daniel M. Saman, Kayla M. Walton, Melissa L. Harry, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 19, 1019
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
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