Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Associations Between Obesity, Physical Inactivity, Healthcare Capacity, and the Built Environment: Geographic Information System Analysis
Explores the impacts healthcare capacity and the built environment have on obesity and physical inactivity. Identifies variations in rural versus urban areas relating to access to healthcare facilities and opportunities to exercise, based on demographic data obtained from a variety of secondary sources and then mapped to geographic locations with GIS. Includes county-level maps representing the study findings in South Carolina.
Author(s): Duaa Aljabri
Citation: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 15, 689-704
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
view details
Environmental Data and Methods from the Accumulating Data to Optimally Predict Obesity Treatment (Adopt) Core Measures Environmental Working Group
Describes available datasets on walkability, neighborhood deprivation, urbanicity, personal safety, and food environment in relationship to weight loss interventions. Utilizes both rural-urban commuting areas (RUCA) codes and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) urban/rural locale definitions to disaggregate the data.
Additional links: Data Files
Author(s): Beth A. Slotman, David G. Stinchcomb, Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, et al.
Citation: Data in Brief, 41
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
view details
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Healthy Lifestyles in Rural Families
Evaluates the effects of the early COVID-19 pandemic on family health behaviors, utilizing thematic analysis of 30 interviews conducted from June 2020 through September 2020 with rural caregivers who were participants in a healthy lifestyles intervention. Discusses themes related to mental health, physical activity, time use, approaches to parenting and family routines, and food choice.
Author(s): Keisha M. England, Bethany Forseth, Maheen Bangash, et al.
Citation: Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living, 2(1), 23-31
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
view details
Trends in Health Disparities of Rural Latinos Pre- and Post-Accountable Care Organization Implementation
Compares diabetes-related hospitalizations among older rural Latino Rural Health Clinic (RHC) patients to those of their White counterparts between 2008 and 2015. Explores whether RHC participation in an Accountable Care Organization reduced diabetes-related hospitalization rates for Latino patients. Presents findings from an analysis of data on 2,683 RHCs nationwide from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and a subset of 516 RHCs in California, Florida, and Texas.
Author(s): Judith Ortiz, Boondaniwon D. Phrathep, Richard Hofler, Chad W. Thomas
Citation: Research in the Sociology of Health Care, 39, 173–187
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
view details
Black/White Disparities in Obesity Widen with Increasing Rurality: Evidence from a National Survey
Analyzes Black/White disparities in obesity, diabetes, and lack of physical activity, with breakdowns by county-level rurality quintile. Utilizes data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Caitlin C. Nash, Erin N. Byrne, Lauren E. Mitchell, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Health Equity, 6(1), 178-188
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
view details
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
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alabama Department of Public Health
view details
Overcoming Technical and Cultural Challenges to Delivering Equitable Care for LGBTQ+ Individuals in a Rural, Underserved Area
Offers guidance for healthcare organizations when addressing the health inequities experienced by LGBTQ+ populations based on the 5-year experience of a rural integrated health system. Topics cover collecting sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data for electronic health records (EHRs), clinical decision support and workflows using SOGI, strengthening the culture of diversity and inclusion within the organization, and partnering with local organizations to develop trust.
Author(s): Heather L. Marney, David K. Vawdrey, Leyla Warsame, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 29(2), 372-378
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
view details
Beyond Patient Care: A Qualitative Study of Rural Hospitals' Role in Improving Community Health
Explores rural hospitals' motivations and strategies to engage in community health improvement efforts. Presents findings from eleven interviews with key informants from 4 Midwestern hospitals and identifies common themes.
Author(s): Mochamad Muska Nataliansyah, Xi Zhu, Thomas Vaughn, Keith Mueller
Citation: BMJ Open, 12(3), e057450
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
view details
Tailoring Opioid Overdose Prevention Efforts for Diverse Groups within Tribal and Urban Indian Settings - A Toolkit for Providers and Community Organizations Serving American Indian/Alaska Native Communities
Toolkit features resources and strategies for preventing opioid overdoses in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Features information for AI/AN elders, youth, veterans, and LGBTQ2S+, as well as urban and tribal communities.
Author(s): Danielle Eakins, Maya Magarati, Katie Hess, et al.
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Seven Directions - A Center for Indigenous Public Health
view details
Over 9 Million Adults Ages 50 and Older Faced Food Insecurity in 2020
Describes trends in food insecurity of food-insecure adults ages 50 and older between 2010-2020. Highlights demographic characteristics linked to older adult food insecurity, including race, educational attainment, income, sex, and nonmetropolitan residence. Presents state-by-state statistics on food insecurity prevalence by age group.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Carlos Figueiredo
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
view details