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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Families

In Rural Areas, Single-Parent Families Have Higher Poverty Rates than Families Headed by Married Couples
Bar chart showing 2007 and 2016 poverty rates for rural families with children, with data for married couples, male head of household with no spouse, female head of household with no spouse, and for all families.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Fruit and Vegetable Preferences and Practices may Hinder Participation in Community Supported Agriculture among Low-Income Rural Families
Presents a study on the effect food preferences have on rates of participation in community agriculture programs for low-income families in rural areas. Bases results on interviews with families regarding fruit and vegetable preferences.
Author(s): Karla L. Hanson, Jennifer Garner, Leah M. Connor, et al.
Citation: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(1), 57-67
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
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The Effects of Home Visiting on Prenatal Health, Birth Outcomes, and Health Care Use in the First Year of Life: Final Implementation and Impact Findings from the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation-Strong Start
Reports on the implementation and results of Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation-Strong Start (MIHOPE-Strong Start) on birth outcomes, prenatal health, and healthcare use. Addresses program characteristics, including metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location, program structure and services offered, and the program effects on infants and families.
Author(s): Helen Lee, Sarah Shea Crowne, Melanie Estarziau, et al.
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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Impacts on Family Outcomes of Evidence-Based Early Childhood Home Visiting: Results from the Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation
Evaluates the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program with a focus on the early effects of child and family outcomes. Covers maternal health, family economic self-sufficiency, child health and development, and more. Addresses challenges for including rural areas.
Author(s): Charles Michalopoulos, Kristen Faucetta, Carolyn J. Hill, et al.
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
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A Short Report: Parents HPV Vaccine Knowledge in Rural South Florida
Summarizes a pilot study in 2 rural counties of Florida, examining parents' human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine knowledge and hesitancy. Provides data and statistics showing relationships between parents' demographics and parental knowledge of HPV vaccination as well as child vaccination with HPV vaccine. Offers suggestions on how to decrease HPV vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination rates in rural areas.
Author(s): Tami L. Thomas, Michelle Caldera, Jeffrey Maurer
Citation: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 15(7-8), 1666-1671
Date: 2019
Type: Document
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Achieving Behavioral Health Equity for Children, Families, and Communities: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes findings from a November 2017 workshop focused on exploring health equity in children and families. Chapter 4 includes discussion on healthcare quality and access for behavioral health services in rural communities. Offers suggestions for initiatives, policies, and programs to support behavioral health promotion, access behavioral health services, and improve the social determinants of health.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Sarah Tracey, Erin Kellogg, Clarissa Sanchez, Wendy Keenan
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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America's Child Care Deserts in 2018
Assesses child care availability in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a special emphasis on how limited or complete lack of access disproportionately impacts rural and Hispanic/Latino populations. Includes discussion on child care deserts and provides a list of policy recommendations to increase access to low-cost and high-quality child care.
Author(s): Rasheed Malik, Katie Hamm, Leila Schochet, et al.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Health Care, Family, and Community Factors Associated with Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders and Poverty Among Children Aged 2–8 Years — United States, 2016
Examines parental reports of mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders in children 2-8 years of age, comparing children in higher-income households with those in lower-income households. Includes data by urban/rural community status for urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated areas.
Author(s): Robyn A. Cree, Rebecca H. Bitsko, Lara R. Robinson, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(50), 1377-1383
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Looking Back But Leaning Forward: New Opportunities and Challenges for North Carolina's Rural Communities
Issue brief describing efforts among local and state leaders to promote community engagement in rural North Carolina and to address shortages of physicians and advanced practitioners. Also examines challenges faced by rural North Carolina hospitals, uses of telemedicine, plans to promote quality care for children and families, and recommendations for the future.
Author(s): Thomas G. Irons, Margaret L. Sauer
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 79(6), 366-371
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
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Community Perspectives on Emergency Department Use and Care for American Indian Children
Explores parental and community perspectives of pediatric emergency department (ED) use for American Indian (AI) populations. Utilizes qualitative data from 70 parents who participated in focus groups to report on issues such as healthcare access, healthcare environment, and culturally insensitive interactions with professionals. Includes participants from both rural and urban areas and presents differentiated experiences according to location.
Author(s): Wyatt J. Pickner, Katherine M. Ziegler, Jessica D. Hanson, et al.
Citation: Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 5(5), 939-946
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
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