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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Children and youth

The Family Engagement Toolkit: Guidance for Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs on Improving Outreach, Recruitment, and Retention
Presents The Family Engagement Toolkit, a set of resources focused on improving engagement with early childhood home visiting programs. Provides tools for program evaluation, goal setting, and prioritizing community and family needs. Includes suggestions specific to rural communities.
Author(s): Rebecca Kleinman, Annie Buonaspina, Emily Rosen, et al.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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State Youth Peer Support Policy Toolkit
Toolkit presents resources and guidance for developing and supporting state-level policy for peer support to address youth mental health needs. Highlights models, funding mechanisms, and training, among other aspects integral to youth peer support programs.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Mental Health America
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Binge Alcohol Use in the Past Month
Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight binge alcohol in the previous month use among adults and youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of survey participants including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Major Depressive Episode or Serious Thoughts of Suicide in the Past Year among Adolescents
Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight major depressive episodes and thoughts of suicide among youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of youth surveyed including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Study Team Perspectives on a Multisite Randomized Clinical Trial with Underserved Rural Populations: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Analysis
Surveys clinical trial study staff on barriers and facilitators of conducting the iAmHealthy Intervention, a mobile health-based clinical trial focused on addressing obesity among rural families and children. Discusses participant recruitment, engagement, and retention, best practices for communicating study procedures and expectations, experiences working with rural populations, and more.
Author(s): Kristina L. Foster, Sarah Sanders, Christi A. Madden, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 20(9), e0333229
Date: 09/2025
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Adverse Childhood Experiences and Preventive Health Care among Rural US Children: A Cross-Sectional Examination of 2022 National Health Interview Survey Data
Examines the relationship between preventative healthcare utilization and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Analyzes 2022 National Health Interview Survey data from 425 children residing in nonmetro locations according to physician visits, dental visits, vaccinations, and self-reported ACEs.
Author(s): Mary Labuhn, Andrew Williams
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70081
Date: 09/2025
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Substance Use Disorder in the Past Year
Offers data on substance use disorder between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Difficulties in Functioning Among Children in the United States: 2021–2023
Offers data on children with difficulties in functioning between 2021 and 2023. Domains investigated include seeing, hearing, walking, communication, behavior, learning, fine motor, playing, self-care, remembering, concentrating, coping with change, relationships, and affect. Includes comparison by 4 levels of urbanization.
Author(s): Julie D. Weeks, Jennifer H. Madans, Lindsey I. Black, Nazik Elgaddal, Benjamin Zablotsky
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Marijuana Use or Opioid Misuse in the Past Year
Highlights data on marijuana and opioid use between 2022 and 2024. Includes break down of use for adults and adolescents between 12 and 17 by various demographic and geographic factors including 5 levels of urbanization.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Co-Creating Non-Congregate Summer Meals: Engaging Your Community to Design Your Program
Examines collaborative processes to create successful non-congregate summer meal programs in rural communities. Discusses a pilot program in Florida and offers suggestions related to meal sites, activities for children, caregiver appreciation, and more.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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