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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

Rural-Urban Differences in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the National Survey of Children's Health
Policy brief analyzing data from a national sample of children and adolescents to examine similarities and differences between rural and urban mental health outcomes prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers considerations for policy and program development. Features demographics and statistics on incidence of anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems in 2018-2019 and 2020, with breakdowns by urban or rural areas.
Author(s): Kristen Figas, Theodoros Giannouchos, Elizabeth Crouch
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Physical Activity Among Adults in Rural Western North Carolina During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines physical activity among adults in a rural area of North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes 297 survey responses from August 3, 2020 through September 15, 2020 and reports on demographic characteristics of respondents, type of and reason for physical activity, and perceived barriers and benefits of physical activity.
Author(s): Wade L. Creech, Brooke C. Towner, Rebecca A. Battista
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
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Bridging the Digital Divide: Advancing Telehealth Equity
Describes the rise in telehealth use in Massachusetts since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and disparities in use across populations. Summarizes the access, quality, and experience factors associated with telehealth from the perspective of patients, providers, and community leaders. Identifies barriers and factors that promoted telehealth use. Offers recommendations for health plans to advance telehealth equity by addressing the root causes of the digital divide, promoting digital inclusion, removing structural and financial barriers to telehealth access, and supporting higher quality and more inclusive care delivery.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Department of Population Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Massachusetts Health Quality Partners
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Sociodemographic Variation in Early Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine and Parental Intent and Attitudes Toward Vaccination of Children Aged 6 Months–4 Years — United States, July 1–29, 2022
Reports on COVID-19 vaccination and parental intent to vaccinate children 6 months to 4 years old. Includes data by place of residence for urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Author(s): Tammy A. Santibanez, Tianyi Zhou, Carla L. Black, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 71(46), 1479-1484
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Health and Health Care for Indigenous People
Fact sheet comparing data on healthcare and population health for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI), and White populations based on 2021 American Community Survey, Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System Data, and other national data sources.
Author(s): Drishti Pillai, Samantha Artiga
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Advancing Rural Health Equity: Fiscal Year 2022 Year in Review
Summarizes Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) activities in fiscal year 2022 to advance health equity for people living in rural, tribal, and geographically isolated communities. Covers 10 priority focus areas: Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, Marketplace, the rural health workforce, payment and delivery system models and demonstrations, long-term services and supports, maternal health, mental health and substance use disorders, quality, and COVID-19.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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COVID-19 Working Paper: Migration, Local Mobility, and the Spread of COVID-19 in Rural America
Examines how movement between and within communities was linked to the initial arrival and spread of COVID-19 infections into and through nonmetropolitan counties. Presents data on the level of migration to and from metropolitan counties and the relative change in work-related mobility for nonmetro counties in 2020 by the level of rurality and county economic type.
Author(s): Peter Nelson, John Cromartie
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Task Force of Border Health Officials Recommendations Report, 2022
Report addressing public health issues in the Texas-Mexico border region, offering short- and long-term planning recommendations. Covers health infrastructure, communicable diseases, environmental health, chronic diseases, and maternal child health.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Task Force of Border Health Officials
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2022 Georgia State of the State: Maternal and Infant Health Report
Summarizes data and evidence regarding maternal and infant health indicators in Georgia. Offers recommendations for further improving the health of mothers and babies. Includes statistics related to fetal, infant, and maternal health in Georgia with breakdowns by demographics and rural or nonrural locations.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
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Teledentistry Trends in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reviews the use of teledentistry during and following the COVID-19 pandemic in California, Maine, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and examines reimbursement issues and supports needed to enhance dental care in a post-COVID-19 world. Mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Miranda Werts, Prashanta Patel, Elizabeth Mertz
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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