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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Environmental health

Geocoding Precision of Birth Records From 2008 to 2017 in Kentucky, USA
Examines geocoding precision of birth records in Kentucky from 2008 to 2017 according to metro, non-metro, and rural location. Provides demographic data comparisons by rurality and mother and father's demographics. Discusses disparities in geocoding precision by race and ethnicity, education, and income.
Author(s): Courtney J. Walker, Steven R. Browning, Jeffrey E. Levy, W. Jay Christian
Citation: Geospatial Health, 17, 1020
Date: 05/2022
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The Occurrence of Bone and Joint Cancers and Their Association with Rural Living and Radon Exposure in Iowa
Examines primary bone and joint cancers between 1975 and 2016 to understand long-term changes in their occurrence. Utilizes the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to focus on cancer occurrence in Iowa and the related correlation between cancers and rural populations, farmland size, and residential radon levels. Includes demographic data of Iowa regions and their corresponding age-adjusted incidence (AAIR) and mortality (AAMR) rates.
Author(s): Jonathan D. Nilles, Dooyoung Lim, Michael P. Boyer, et al.
Citation: Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 45(3), 925-940
Date: 04/2022
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USDA Strategic Plan: Fiscal Years 2022-2026
Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) strategic plan for fiscal years 2022-2026, setting strategic goals related to environmental health, access to services, conservation, economic development, housing, infrastructure, and more. Discusses investment and programs for rural and tribal communities throughout.
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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2020 Alabama State Health Assessment
Reports on the health of Alabama residents, providing demographic data and comparing rural and urban areas throughout. Presents county-level data and discussion of 14 selected health indicators, including mental health and substance abuse, access to care, pregnancy outcomes, social determinants of health, and environmental health, among others.
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Public Health
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Minnesota Community Report: Healthy Rural and Urban Kids Project
Reports on biomonitoring project that looks at exposures to environmental chemicals that may harm young children in both rural and urban areas of Minnesota by testing the urine of 232 children aged 6 or under. Discusses the chemicals that were more commonly observed in rural versus urban children.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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What Can We Do When the Smoke Rolls In? An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis of the Impacts of Rural Wildfire Smoke on Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Opportunities for Adaptation
Study examining the mental health and wellbeing impacts of wildfire smoke events based on community focus group sessions and key informant interviews with healthcare and social service providers in Okanogan County, Washington. Describes wildfire smoke exposure effects on anxiety, depressive symptoms, isolation, and physical health, and explores opportunities for healthcare and community interventions.
Author(s): Anna Humphreys, Elizabeth G. Walker, Gregory N. Bratman, Nicole A. Errett
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 41
Date: 01/2022
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Navajo Philosophies and Worldviews Shape Focus Groups on the Impacts of a Mine Spill
Describes collaborative research that incorporated Navajo philosophy and worldviews into focus group examinations of the Gold King Mine spill of 2015, which impacted a river that flows through the Navajo Nation. Discusses the project's development, building community buy-in, and examining socio-cultural impacts of the disaster.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health
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Randomized Trial of a Portable HEPA Air Cleaner Intervention to Reduce Asthma Morbidity Among Latino Children in an Agricultural Community
Study evaluating the impact of HEPA air cleaners on asthma morbidity for a group of 75 rural Latino children in the Lower Yakima Valley region of Washington. Analyzes health outcomes after providing an intervention group with HEPA air cleaners, and describes the potential for HEPA air cleaners to aid in asthma control in children, particularly in agricultural and industrial settings.
Author(s): Rebecca L. Drieling, Paul D. Sampson, Jennifer E. Krenz, et al.
Citation: Environmental Health, 21, 1
Date: 01/2022
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Agricultural Health Study: 2022 Study Update
Report presents an update from the Agricultural Health Study, a long-term study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Discusses the health risk from pesticide exposure, including cancer and immune function.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: National Institutes of Health
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Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up
Report examining the effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are common in well water in rural areas and have been linked to adverse health effects including cancer, thyroid dysfunction, changes in cholesterol, and reductions in birth weight. Recommends that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and public health departments support clinicians in communities where PFAS contamination has been identified, by creating educational materials on PFAS exposure, potential health effects, the limitations of testing, and the benefits and harms of testing.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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