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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Water Safety in California Public Schools Following Implementation of School Drinking Water Policies
Study examining results from a California testing program created to detect lead in charter and public school drinking water. Analyzes factors associated with access to safe drinking water, including differences between rural and urban schools. Features data and statistics indicating whether school water systems were compliant with health standards and whether school drinking water was tested for lead.
Author(s): Isioma L. Umunna, Lauren S. Blacker, Christina E. Hecht, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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Collecting Early Childhood Obesity Measurements Through a Home Visiting Program: A Proof-of-Concept Study
Describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a proof-of-concept protocol for collecting data on weight and length/height of children aged 6 months to 5 years through existing home visiting programs in rural and urban areas of South Carolina, Texas, Illinois, and Florida. Features a measurement checklist for parent educators and discusses implications for public health, such as obesity prevention.
Author(s): Julie M. Kapp, Brian Hall, Allison Kemner
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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Cost-Effectiveness of Scaling Up HCV Prevention and Treatment in the United States for People Who Inject Drugs
Highlights the cost-effectiveness of combining medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and syringe-service programs (SSP) with hepatitis C (HCV) treatment for people who inject drugs. Compares services for patients in rural Perry County, KY; and urban San Fransisco, CA.
Author(s): Carolina Barbosa, Hannah Fraser, Thomas J. Hoerger, et al.
Citation: Addiction, 114(12), 2267-2278
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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Addressing Health Disparities in the Rural United States: Advocacy as Caregiving among Community Health Workers and Promotores de Salud
Presents a study comparing the roles played by community health workers (CHWs) and promotores de salud in serving rural communities in Indiana and Texas. Discusses CHWs role in addressing rural health disparities and describes that role in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Ryan I. Logan, Heide CastaƱeda
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9223
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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"We're, Like, the Most Unhealthy People in the Country": Using an Equity Lens to Reduce Barriers to Healthy Food Access in Rural Appalachia
Examines barriers and facilitators for accessing healthy food in Martin County, Kentucky. Aims to develop socially-, culturally-, and historically-informed policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) interventions to reduce obesity in Appalachia and other areas.
Author(s): Kathryn Cardarelli, Emily DeWitt, Rachel Gillespie, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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Lakewood Engage Tackles Food Insecurity in Rural Minnesota
Features a community-based program in rural Minnesota that addresses food insecurity through multiple initiatives, including distribution of fresh produce through a food "prescription" program, home delivery of meals to post-acute care patients and those in COVID-19 quarantine, and a farmers market.
Author(s): Kathryn Rutz
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Ensuring an Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines in Rural Communities
Policy brief addressing rural access to COVID-19 vaccines. Discusses the vaccine infrastructure, distribution, transportation, and storage needed to reach rural residents. Provides guidance for national, state, and local leaders.
Author(s): John Gale, Alana Knudson, Michael Meit, Shena Popat
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Substance Use Disorder Treatment Penetration among Child Welfare-Involved Caregivers
Highlights rates of substance use disorder (SUD) and SUD treatment among child welfare-involved caregivers in Washington. Breaks down data by county and by caregivers with SUD and those receiving treatment for SUD.
Additional links: Supplemental Maps
Author(s): Deleena Patton, Qinghua Liu, Ellen Kersten, et al.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
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Medicare Fee-For-Service Beneficiaries with Opioid Use Disorder in 2018: Disparities in Prevalence by Beneficiary Characteristics
Examines the sociodemographic, Medicare eligibility, clinical, and geographic characteristics of Medicare beneficiaries with opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies disparities in OUD prevalence among Medicare beneficiaries. Discusses opportunities to tailor policies and interventions to beneficiary groups with high OUD prevalence to ensure access to treatment.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Washington State's 1115 Family Planning Demonstration Evaluation - Findings from January 2012 to May 2018
Report highlights data pertaining to family planning waiver enrollment in Washington state from 2012 to 2018. Breaks down waivers issued for low income, high income, and pregnancy-related reasons and compares rural and urban populations.
Author(s): Tenaya Sunbury, Dorothy Lyons, Z. Joyce Fan, et al.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
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