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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Minnesota Community Report: Healthy Rural and Urban Kids Project
Reports on biomonitoring project that looks at exposures to environmental chemicals that may harm young children in both rural and urban areas of Minnesota by testing the urine of 232 children aged 6 or under. Discusses the chemicals that were more commonly observed in rural versus urban children.
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Association of Rurality With Annual Repeat Lung Cancer Screening in the Veterans Health Administration
Reviews electronic health records of veterans in rural and nonrural areas who utilized Veterans Affairs medical centers from 2015 to 2019. Examines geographic trends among veteran populations who complete annual repeat lung cancer screenings. Includes information on barriers rural veterans face in accessing screenings and potential solutions to address them. Reports on rural versus nonrural data further broken down according to age, sex, race, ethnicity, and comorbidities, among other demographic information.
Author(s): Lucy B. Spalluto, Jennifer A. Lewis, Lauren R. Samuels, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American College of Radiology, 19(1 PB), 131-138
Date: 01/2022
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The Rural Household Production of Health Approach: Applying Lessons from Zambia to Rural Cancer Disparities in the U.S.
Examines the household production of health approach (HHPH) to understand how rural populations allocate resources when seeking medical treatment. Discusses how this approach can yield new understandings of rural cancer research in the U.S. that considers people's familial and cultural realities. Focuses on responsibilities in the household, particularly for women, as they relate to healthcare access.
Author(s): Mutale Chileshe, Emma Nelson Bunkley, Jean Hunleth
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 974
Date: 01/2022
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Assessment of US Preventive Services Task Force Guideline-Concordant Cervical Cancer Screening Rates and Reasons for Underscreening by Age, Race and Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Rurality, and Insurance, 2005 to 2019
Results of a study of screening-eligible women who do not have up-to-date cervical cancer screenings, exploring their primary reasons for not receiving timely screening. Features demographic statistics including breakdowns by urban or rural residence.
Author(s): Ryan Suk, Young-Rock Hong, Suja S. Rajan, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(1)
Date: 01/2022
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Strengths and Stressors in Region XI Head Start: The Role of Social Support and Economic Condition in the Well-Being of Children and Families from AIAN FACES 2019
Report examining the effects of social support and economic conditions on family well-being for American Indian and Alaska Native communities based on data from the 2019 American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES). Provides data on cultural activities, food and housing, parental material hardships, supports, and income and discusses family well-being in relation to child physical and behavioral health.
Author(s): Sara Bernstein, Katie Gonzalez, Sharika Rakibullah, Lizabeth Malone, Jeffrey Harrington
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organizations: ACF Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, Mathematica
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The Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations: An Assessment of the Literature
Review of research literature to assess whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access for rural and underserved populations has been effective in reducing healthcare disparities. Initiatives considered include availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Additional links: Fact Sheet: Alleviating Structural Barriers to Obtaining Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Bringing Outpatient Clinics into Communities, Fact Sheet: Ensuring Comfort and Communication in the Delivery of Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Clinicians, Fact Sheet: Removing Financial Barriers to Primary Care
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Nia Gooding
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Sustainment Stories: A Qualitative Analysis of Barriers to Sustainment of the National Rural Transitions of Care Nurse Program
Explores a study evaluating the VA's Transitions Nurse Program (TNP) and its efficacy in rural areas. Details some of the program's early outcomes, barriers, and perceptions.
Author(s): Mary Ava Nunnery, Heather Gilmartin, Michaela McCarthy, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 119
Date: 01/2022
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Rural and Urban Differences in Undersupply of Buprenorphine Provider Availability in the United States, 2018
Presents a study comparing county-level rates of providers with buprenorphine waivers with rates of opioid-overdose deaths and compares rural and urban areas. Details rural and urban comparisons for 38 states.
Author(s): Kevin P. Conway, Dalia Khoury, Rainer Hilscher, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science and Clinical Practice, 17, 5
Date: 01/2022
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Community Power in Population Health Improvement: Proceedings of a Workshop
Reports on a January 2021 workshop exploring issues related to community-driven power-building efforts to improve population health. Summarizes workshop presentations and discussions on community-led action around different population health improvement topics such as education, transportation, environmental health, healthy eating, and active living, among others. Chapter 6 includes examples of rural and tribal initiatives.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 01/2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Assessment of a Community-Based Exercise Program for Older Adults in a Mixed Rural/Urban Catchment Area: Silver Sneakers in Central Pennsylvania
Study assessing the Silver Sneakers program, a federally funded, community-based exercise program for older adults, based on interviews with program staff in central Pennsylvania. Discusses rural/urban access to the program, facilities that offer the programs, and closures due to COVID-19.
Author(s): Eileen Flores, Sage Nakawa, Robbin Moyer, Shirley M. Bluethmann
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 19, 210283
Date: 01/2022
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