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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition

Implementation of Universal School Meals During COVID-19 and Beyond: School Food Authority and Parent Perspectives
Examines the implementation of the Universal School Meals (USM) policy during COVID-19 and the continuation of USM in California and Maine. Analyzes survey data from school food authorities (SFAs) and parents in both states. Reports on issues such as food procurement and staffing issues during COVID-19, parental perspectives on school meals, and benefits of USM. Includes feedback from rural areas in Maine.
Additional links: Brief
Author(s): Leah Chapman, Juliana F. W. Cohen, Wendi Gosliner, et al.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Adult Obesity in Rural America: An Examination of the Relationships Between Obesity Prevalence, Sociodemographic Factors, Access to Care, and Differences Between Rural and Urban Counties
Provides an overview of obesity prevalence in rural versus urban counties. Analyzes factors related to obesity such as education, income, physical inactivity, healthcare workforce, and food, internet, and healthcare access. Includes case studies and data related to obesity prevalence in Texas and Arkansas.
Additional links: Appendix, Executive Summary
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Rural New York: Challenges and Opportunities
Provides comparative data for the 10 rural counties in New York. Discusses issues such as transportation, aging and overall declining population, shrinking labor force, and lack of access to adequate housing, food, healthcare, and broadband.
Author(s): Thomas P. DiNapoli
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the New York State Comptroller
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Evaluation of Technology Modernization for SNAP Benefit Redemption Through Online Transactions: Final Evaluation Report
Examines operations of the online purchasing pilot (OPP) that allowed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers to redeem benefits online. Analyzes data from the pilot launch in April 2019 and through the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on online purchasing differences between urban and rural populations, frequency of use, and delivery options of participants.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Michele Mendelson, Ayesha Enver, Shannon Hitchcock, et al.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Assessing the Association Between Food Environment and Dietary Inflammation by Community Type: A Cross-Sectional REGARDS Study
Analyzes the correlation between community type and food environments. Examines 2003-2007 data from 20,322 individuals according to higher density urban, lower density urban, suburban/small town, and rural. Discusses the association between community type and their respective dietary inflammation score (DIS) as well as potential interventions for these locations.
Author(s): Yasemin Algur, Pasquale E. Rummo, Tara P. McAlexander, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Health Geographics, 22, 24
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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Sustainability Spotlight: State Funding for Produce Prescriptions
Provides an overview of two successful models of produce prescriptions (PPR) programs that provide access to fruits and vegetables for low-income families experiencing diet-related illness. Discusses sustainability, collaboration, and strategic planning of the New Mexico Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program (FVRx) that works with tribal, rural, and frontier communities.
Author(s): Audrey Immel
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Oregon by the Numbers - Key Measures for Oregon and Its Counties
Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Additional links: En Español
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Ford Family Foundation, Oregon State University Rural Studies Program
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The State of Our Health: A Statewide Health Assessment of Pennsylvania, August 2023 Update
Identifies specific health challenges in Pennsylvania and indicates where the largest improvements can be made. Features sections on social determinants of health, access to care, substance use, chronic diseases, mental health, maternal and infant health, injury and violence prevention, infectious diseases and immunization, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and environmental health. Includes references to rural throughout.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Teacher and Caregiver Perspectives on Water Is K'é: An Early Child Education Program to Promote Healthy Beverages among Navajo Children
Presents a study exploring the efficacy of the Water is K'é pilot program which is designed to increase water consumption among young children in the Navajo Nation. Evaluation draws on the perspective of teachers and caregivers who were interviewed about their children's water consumption.
Author(s): Carmella B. Kahn, Brianna John, Sonya S. Shin, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(17), 6696
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
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DRCHSD Spotlight: Urgent & Primary Care of Clarksdale in Clarksdale, Mississippi
Discusses how Urgent and Primary Care of Clarksdale in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and community partners constructed a community garden to improve patient and community access to healthy food. Describes how clinic staff used Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program resources to increase access to care through telehealth, including using technology to provide healthcare services to people incarcerated at the Coahoma County Detention Facility.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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