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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Community-Initiated Care in Behavioral Health: Exploring Funding Mechanisms for Substance Use Disorders
Report explores funding options for behavioral health-focused community-initiated care (CIC) programs. Discusses CIC community partners, activities performed, and funding sources for programs to utilize. Details the characteristics of CIC programs, such as age groups and populations served, as well as prevalence in rural communities.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Financing Reform and Innovation, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Working on Wellness: The Rural Health and Employment Link
Examines the relationship between rural population health outcomes and employment security. Provides data on labor force participation, life expectancy, unhealthy days, and disability rates across the rural-urban continuum. Discusses metro versus nonmetro differences in workplace hazards and physical exertion.
Author(s): Surekha Carpenter, Bethany Greene, Stephanie Norris
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
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Improving Maternal Mental Health in Women With Serious Mental Illness
Report highlights gaps in maternal mental healthcare access and highlights promising practices aimed at closing those gaps in several states. Discusses factors that affect maternal mental health access, such as screening, workforce, training, and peer support, among others.
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Personal Protective Equipment for Influenza A (H5N1) in High-Risk Farm Settings: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes discussions from a workshop on H5N1 in farm settings. Includes information on transmission, best practices for personal protective equipment (PPE), PPE innovation, outreach regarding PPE use, and research needs on effectiveness of PPE for H5N1.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2026
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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2024 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, care affordability, healthy living, effective treatment, person-centered care, care coordination, and more.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The State of Health in Tennessee 2025: Annual Report to the 114th Tennessee General Assembly
Assesses the health status of Tennesseans across the four areas of the State Health Plan Framework: A Healthy Start, A Healthy Life, a Healthy Environment, and a Healthy System of Care. Includes a section on social determinants of health and features statistics on various populations and aspects of healthcare, including rural hospital closures.
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Beyond the Battlefield: Restoring Connection for Missouri's Rural Veterans
Assesses health disparities among Missouri's rural veterans and discusses the need for coordinated, statewide action to address veterans' health needs. Highlights topics related to mental health, chronic health conditions, geographic limitations on access to care, broadband infrastructure, and more.
Author(s): Derek Landes, Libby Trammell, Kaitlyn Onanian
Date: 12/2025
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Rural Health Association
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Psychosocial Distress among Individuals Residing in a Rural PFAS-Contaminated Community
Examines how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) impact the psychosocial distress of individuals in a rural Maine community affected by agricultural biosolid spreading and contaminated water. Analyzes level of PFAS in drinking water alongside participant characteristics, such as sociodemographics, mental health, coping mechanisms, and consequences of PFAS contamination.
Author(s): Elizabeth Scharnetzki, Lisa B Rokoff, Katherine Senechal, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 272, 114736
Date: 12/2025
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Associations Between Social Media Usage, Physical Activity, and Flourishing in Rural University Students
Results of a pilot study examining the correlation between social media usage, physical activity, and overall well-being and health among college students at a rural Appalachian university. Based on self-reported data collected from April-October 2024. .
Author(s): Anna Dysart, Minu Sara Thomas
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 7(4), 128-136
Date: 12/2025
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Scoping Review of the Environmental and Human Health Effects of Rural Alaska Landfills
A scoping review that examines the public health impact of landfills in rural and tribal areas of Alaska. Analyzes landfill contaminants, exposures, and solid waste management on disease transmission, chemical exposure, and other health issues.
Author(s): Carlye Chaney, Anita Moore-Nall, Chad Albert, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1), 45
Date: 12/2025
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