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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Environmental health

Lessons for Human Services: Perspectives of Program Participants on Extreme Weather and Environmental Hazards
Examines how human services programs mitigate issues caused by environmental hazards and extreme weather for low-income and underserved communities. Utilizes qualitative data from 41 participants, with a focus on impacts of trash and garbage, flooding, air and water quality, extreme heat, and other environmental conditions. Includes commentary about hazards specific to rural areas.
Author(s): Anne Junod, Pamela Winston, Maretta McDonald, Mikaela Tajo, Rebecca Marx
Date: 01/2025
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Disparities in Allergy and Asthma Prevalence among Schoolteachers
Examines prevalence of allergic and respiratory symptoms among 398 schoolteachers in Massachusetts. Includes comparisons between teachers in rural, suburban, and urban schools for health behaviors and factors associated with adverse breathing symptoms, including headache, sleep apnea, food allergy, nighttime awakening, sore throat, and more.
Author(s): Hana B. Ruran, Briana L. Mallouh, Lisa M. Bartnikas, Wanda Phipatanakul, Abhinav Kaushik
Citation: The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 155(1), 223-227
Date: 01/2025
Type: Document
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Arizona State Health Assessment, 2024
Reports on the health of people in Arizona, including population subgroups, social determinants of health, and priority health issues. Discusses health and access disparities in rural, tribal, and border areas. Includes county-level data.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Water Affordability Needs Assessment: Report to Congress
Reports on access to affordable, safe water across the United States. Discusses challenges faced by community water systems and household-level access challenges, and recommends policies to increase affordable water access. Highlights rural, tribal, and underserved communities throughout, including discussion of funding and program case studies.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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Stressors for Farmworker Parents During Wildfire Season
Outlines themes identified during interviews and town hall discussions with farmworker parents in 2 Washington counties about childcare, work, and concerns about children's exposure to wildfire smoke and the impact on absenteeism in the workplace. Discusses the informational needs for farmworkers and the role of community-based organizations.
Author(s): Savannah M. D'Evelyn, Isabel Nerenberg, Maria Blancas, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 3314
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
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Residential Instability, Neighborhood Deprivation, and Outcomes for Children
Examines the effects of residential instability and neighborhood deprivation on children's educational outcomes via an analysis of North Carolina births, lead testing, and standardized testing score data. Includes data on differences in study outcomes based on movement between rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Mercedes A. Bravo, Dominique Zephyr, Marie Lynn Miranda
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 3343
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
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Future Directions for Rural Population Research: Findings from RPRN's Listening Sessions
Summarizes 5 listening sessions with rural development practitioners aiming to identify areas of research need by rural population researchers. Discusses trends in agriculture and food systems, community and economic development, the environment and natural resources, and health, healthcare, and disability services. Offers recommendations related to information sharing, community involvement in research, data gathering, and best practices and evaluation.
Author(s): Kristina Brant, Paige, Kelly, Danielle Rhubart, et al.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Population Research Network
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Texas Task Force of Border Health Officials Recommendations Report, 2024
Report addressing public health issues in the Texas-Mexico border region, offering short- and long-term planning recommendations. Covers health workforce training, communicable diseases, environmental health, mental health, and maternal child health.
Date: 11/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Task Force of Border Health Officials
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Enhancing Rural Resilience: The Intersection of Climate, Behavioral Health and Workforce
Presentation slides that cover environmental and behavioral health topics such as climate chance, agricultural health, mental health, and more.
Author(s): Mona Arora, Kari Northeim, Melissa Oden, et al.
Date: 10/2024
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telementoring Training Center
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Environmental Inequality in Estimated Cancer Risk from Airborne Toxic Exposure across United States Communities from 2011 to 2019
Examines disparities in cancer risk due to airborne toxic exposure at the census tract level, utilizing American Community Survey, NATA, and AirToxScreen data sets. Breaks down cancer risk data in rural, suburban, and urban census tracts by race, educational attainment, and median household income, with year-by-year comparisons for the period 2011-2019.
Author(s): Patrick Hurbain, Matthew J. Strickland, Yan Liu, Dingsheng Li
Citation: Environmental Science & Technology, 58(43), 19115-19127
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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