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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Illicit drug use

Estimating the Number of People Who Inject Drugs in A Rural County in Appalachia
Demonstrates how a group of researchers conducted data collection in Cabell County, West Virginia in June and July 2018, to estimate the number of people who inject drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Features statistics including demographics and breakdowns by type of drug injected.
Author(s): Sean T. Allen, Allison O'Rourke, Rebecca Hamilton White, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 445-450
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
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Addressing the Rural Opioid Addiction and Overdose Crisis Through Cross-Sector Collaboration: Little Falls, Minnesota
Explores a cross-sector community-based care coordination effort to reduce the use of opioids in Little Falls, MN. Discusses the collaboration between a rural hospital and clinic with the Morrison County Accountable Communities for Health (ACH) program and highlights changes to opioid prescribing practices and community awareness of treatment options.
Author(s): Caroline Au-Yeung, Lynn A. Blewett, Kathy Lange
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 109(2), 260-262
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
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Premature Mortality from All Causes and Drug Poisonings in the USA According to Socioeconomic Status and Rurality: An Analysis of Death Certificate Data by County from 2000–15
Examines premature deaths from drug poisoning versus all causes by county for White, Black, and Latino people. Addresses differences by rural/urban location, socioeconomic status, education level, gender, and race/ethnicity. See additional link for detailed tables.
Additional links: Supplementary Appendix
Author(s): Meredith S. Shiels, Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, Ana F. Best, et al.
Citation: The Lancet, 4(2), e97-e106
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
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Opioid Use Disorder: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Communities
Discusses challenges rural communities face in providing access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies federal and state strategies to address treatment capacity, including expanding the workforce authorized to prescribe buprenorphine and using technology to provide treatment. Highlights how Scott County, Indiana responded to an HIV outbreak related to OUD by addressing the barriers to care faced by people with OUD and HIV.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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Oklahoma Drug Induced Causes of Death Due to Opioid Poisoning, 1999 to 2017
County-level map of Oklahoma, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics, to show drug induced age-adjusted mortality rate due to opioid poisoning from 1999 to 2017.
Date: 01/2019
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Association Among County-Level Economic Factors, Clinician Supply, Metropolitan or Rural Location, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Highlights a study on demographic factors that correlate with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Looks at a county's economic factors, rural status, and clinician supply in 8 different states.
Author(s): Stephen W. Patrick, Laura J. Faherty, Andrew W. Dick, et al.
Citation: JAMA, 321(4), 385-393
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
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The Contributions of Socioeconomic and Opioid Supply Factors to Geographic Variation in U.S. Drug Mortality Rates
Features a study on the geographic variation in opioid overdose mortality. Compares rates of drug mortality from 2000-2002 with 2014-2016 and looks at socioeconomic factors, as well as rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Shannon M. Monnat
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Institute for New Economic Thinking
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Understanding the Opioid Crisis in Rural and Urban Iowa
Highlights findings from an analysis of the opioid epidemic in Iowa. Covers data and statistics comparing opioid death rates in Iowa to surrounding states; opioid-use deaths in metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural Iowa and to the U.S. population; and opioid deaths by cause, such as prescription or synthetic opioids, and rurality. Analyzes other factors related to opioid-use deaths such as demographics, employment, income, and civic participation.
Author(s): David J. Peters, Peter Miller, Andrew Hochstetler
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
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Opioid-Related Hospital Stays Among Women in the United States, 2016
Examines opioid-related hospitalizations among women 15 years of age and older. Provides data by location of patient residence for large metropolitan, small/medium metro, and micropolitan/noncore (rural) areas addressing: opioid-related compared to non-opioid stays; co-occurring mental disorder or pregnancy/childbirth; stays related to opioid abuse/dependence, opioid adverse events, and opioid poisoning/self-harm; and patient race/ethnicity by location of residence.
Author(s): Audrey J. Weiss, Kimberly W. McDermott, Kevin C. Heslin
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Association of Pharmaceutical Industry Marketing of Opioid Products With Mortality From Opioid-Related Overdoses
Highlights a study on the correlation between the marketing of opioids and opioid overdose mortality at a county-level. Breaks down data by participants' age, census region, and metro versus nonmetro location, among other factors.
Author(s): Scott E. Hadland, Ariadne Rivera-Aguirre, Brandon D. L. Marshall, Magdalena Cerdá
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 2(1)
Date: 01/2019
Type: Document
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