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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Current Perceptions, Behaviors & Prevention Strategies of Prescription Opioid Misuse
Reports the findings of a survey of 379 rural Montanans about the perception of prescription opioid misuse in their communities. Offers data on opioid use behavior and accessibility, medication disposal options, and methods of distributing information about opioids to family, friends, and community members.
Author(s): Michelle Grocke, Barbara Allen, Wendy Stevens, Kristen Vardanega, Sandra Bailey
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Montana State University Extension
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Boosting Physical Activity in Rural Communities with Play Streets
Interview discussion about Play Streets, or the closing down of specific public places for physical activity and leisure, and how they can benefit rural communities that lack infrastructure for children to be active. Discusses public health benefits of Play Streets and the impact on addressing health disparities.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: State of Childhood Obesity
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African American Exposure to Prescribed Fire Smoke in Georgia, USA
Study examining exposure to air pollution from prescribed burning affecting predominantly African American communities in rural Georgia. Discusses conservation-based prescribed burning practices in Georgia and land ownership dynamics, offering a census tract analysis of African American, Hispanic American, and White residence in relation to burn areas. Provides maps indicating spatial distribution of burn permits for conservation lands, government lands, commercial lands, and private landowner lands with approximate percentages of African American population for each census tract.
Author(s): Cassandra Johnson Gaither, Sadia Afrin, Fernando Garcia-Menendez, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(17), 3079
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Collaborative Implementation of a Community-based Exercise Intervention with a Partnering Rural American Indian Community
Presents a study on an intervention to address obesity and type 2 diabetes among rural American Indian youth. Details an exercise-based intervention implemented via a partnership between the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
Author(s): Jennifer Q Chadwick, Mary A Tullier, Lisa Wolbert, et al.
Citation: Clinical Trials, 16(4), 391-398
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Implementation Challenges and Opportunities Related to HPV Vaccination Quality Improvement in Primary Care Clinics in a Rural State
Examines quality improvement interventions to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates in a rural Midwestern state. Describes the disparity in HPV vaccination rates between rural and urban areas. Discusses the roles of providers, clinics, and health systems in implementing interventions.
Author(s): Natoshia M. Askelson, Grace Ryan, Laura Seegmiller, et al.
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 44(4), 790-795
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Scaling Up Hepatitis C Prevention and Treatment Interventions for Achieving Elimination in the United States: A Rural and Urban Comparison
Details a study on hepatitis C treatment and prevention interventions for people who use drugs in rural and urban areas. Compares the results of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and syringe service program (SSP) interventions in rural Perry County, Kentucky and urban San Fransisco, California.
Author(s): Hannah Fraser, Claudia Vellozzi, Thomas J Hoerger, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Epidemiology, 188(8), 1539-1551
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Disparities in Rural Tobacco Use, Smoke-Free Policies, and Tobacco Taxes
Highlights tobacco-related disparities in rural communities such as the prevalence of second-hand smoke, smoke free policies, and taxes on tobacco products. Discusses cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, tobacco industry influence, and best practices for rural communities.
Author(s): Kelly Buettner-Schmidt, Donald R. Miller, Brody Maack
Citation: Western Journal of Nursing Research, 41(8), 1184-1202
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Acceptability of Safe Drug Consumption Spaces among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural West Virginia
Presents a study on the acceptability of safe consumption spaces among people who inject drugs in rural West Virginia. Breaks down data by demographic data, overdoses, and drugs used, among other characteristics.
Author(s): Allison O'Rourke, Rebecca Hamilton White, Ju Nyeong Park, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 16, 51
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Doctor Hopping and Doctor Shopping for Prescription Opioids Associated with Increased Odds of High‐Risk Use
Presents a study on doctor hopping by people with opioid use disorder. Defines doctor hopping, a variant of doctor shopping, and uses data from the Arkansas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to illustrate the behavior and its outcomes. Compares doctor hopping and doctor shopping in both rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Sean G. Young, Corey J. Hayes, Jonathan Aram, Mark A. Tait
Citation: Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 28(8), 1117–1124
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Resources for Rural Community Health Needs Assessments and Community Health Improvement Plans
Provides basic information for rural health stakeholders interested in improving population health and health equity in rural communities through a community health improvement process (CHIP). Clarifies the differences between a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), both components of the community health improvement process. Includes links to more in-depth information.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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