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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Never Underestimate the Power of Community
Provides an overview of the Tennessee Department of Health's efforts to improve public health and emergency response strategies for extreme heat days in 2 rural Tennessee counties. Discusses planning, implementation, and cooperation with health professionals and community members.
Author(s): Kimberly Harrell
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Are We Ready? Preparing for the Public Health Challenges of Climate Change
Provides information on how local health departments (LHDs) are planning for climate change. Discusses public health consequences of heat, drought, wildfires, and smoke and how public health programming and services can mitigate health issues. Utilizes 302 responses from LHDs to discuss issues such as staff capacity, funding sources, understanding of the effects of climate change, and more, with representative responses from small LHDs serving less than 50,000 people.
Author(s): Angana Roy, Margaret Cunningham, Kellie Hall
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Reframing Health Disparities in Rural America: A Communications Toolkit
Provides resources and strategies for public health professionals to communicate effectively about rural health disparities with a variety of audiences. Includes sample letters and social media posts that include health equity and and historical context in their messages.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: FrameWorks Institute, National Network of Public Health Institutes
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NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) Detailed Tables - 2023
Explores 2023 survey data, including revisions, on use of prescription and illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine products, trends in substance use disorder (SUD) and mental illness, and access to treatment for youth and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Community-Level Factors and their Associations with Changing Opioid Overdose Fatality Rates in Kentucky, 2019–2021
Identifies associations between community-level factors and opioid overdose fatality rates in Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky counties, and examines how these associations have changed from 2019 to 2021. Discusses societal changes that occurred due to COVID-19, including social isolation, and which may be linked to an increase in overdose deaths. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, adjacent-to-metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas.
Author(s): Shawn R. Nigam, Philip M. Westgate, Svetla Slavova, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Katherine L. Thompson
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(1), 90-115
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Newly Reported Chronic Hepatitis C Among Adults — Alaska, 2016-2023
Reports on newly reported confirmed chronic hepatitis C diagnoses data among Alaskan adults between 2016 and 2023. Notes diagnosis rate disparities for American Indian and Alaska Natives and rural residents, among others. Discusses the potential impact of increased screening on the data. Offers recommendations related to screening, treatment, reporting, and more.
Author(s): Heather M. Scobie, Ian Blake, Eyasu Teshale, et al.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Division of Public Health
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Provision of Stroke Care Services by Community Disadvantage Status in the US, 2009-2022
Results of a study of 5,055 hospitals, examining the association of community socioeconomic disadvantage with likelihood of nearby hospitals adopting stroke center certification from 2009-2022. Features statistics including hospital characteristics during the study period, with breakdown by rural location.
Author(s): Renee Y. Hsia, Nandita Sarkar, Yu-Chu Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(7), e2421010
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Adult Smoking Cessation — United States, 2022
Reports estimates of cigarette smoking cessation indicators among U.S. adults. Includes rural and urban data on interest in quitting, past-year attempts to quit smoking, recent successful cessation, health professional assistance and counseling, and use of medication to quit smoking.
Author(s): Brenna VanFrank, Ann Malarcher, Monica E. Cornelius, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(29), 633-641
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Tailored Approach to Participant Recruitment and Retention to Maximize Health Equity in Pediatric Cancer Research
Analyzes methods to improve recruitment and retention strategies to promote equity in pediatric cancer research studies. Focuses on using pre-approach, initial connection, building connection, and follow-up strategies to increase participation from Black or African American, Latino/Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander, those with low socioeconomic status, and rural populations.
Author(s): Carolyn R. Bates, Renee M. Gilbert, Kelsey M. Dean, et al.
Citation: BMC Medical Research Methodology, 24, 161
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Rural Community Health Worker Programs: Proving Value and Finding Sustainability
Features four rural healthcare organizations describing the impact of their community health worker (CHW) programs and strategies for sustaining them. Discusses CHW roles, activities, reimbursement options, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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