This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

O the Places Rural Children Will Go…to Get Physical Activity: A Cross Sectional Analysis
Examines locations in which children engage in either moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or sedentary time in the rural Midwest. Utilizes data from 44 participants who wore an activity tracker over a 7-day period and discusses activity in locations labeled as home, home neighborhood, school, school neighborhood, or 'other'. Discusses health issues and access barriers for rural children related to overweight/obesity.
Author(s): Bethany Forseth, Jordan A. Carlson, Adrian Ortega, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 1188
Date: 03/2025
view details
Modular Decentralized Water System Associated With Improved Child Health and Increased In-Home Water Use in Remote Alaska Native Communities
Explores the health effects of using Miniature Portable Alternative Sanitation Systems (Mini-PASS) on children 12 years old and younger in tribal communities in Alaska. Discusses Mini-PASS as an affordable option for communities that require a decentralized water system that doesn't require piping or sewer. Highlights the health and sanitation benefits such a system can bring to these communities.
Author(s): Amanda Hansen, Gretchen Day, Marla Wehrli, Laura Eichelberger
Citation: Journal of Water and Health, 23(3), 364–372.
Date: 03/2025
view details
Ready or Not 2025: Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism
Report explores the readiness of state public health systems to respond to emergencies, such as diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism. Focuses on measures such as hospital safety scores, vaccination rates, and water system maintenance, among others. Includes rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Rhea K. Farberman, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
view details
Social Workers Bridge Critical Care Gaps and Improve Health Outcomes for Rural Veterans
Discusses the role of social workers in primary care teams for rural veterans. Explores the impacts of incorporating social workers into primary care on hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and closing gaps in rural service delivery.
Author(s): James Rudolph
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Systems Research, Office of Research & Development
view details
Rural Areas Have More Older People Exposed to Greater Wildfire Risk
Bar chart comparing the number of adults 60 or older with moderate, high, or highest risk of wildfire exposure by rurality.
Author(s): Richelle L. Winkler
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Pilot Implementation of a Telehealth Safety Planning Group Intervention for Suicidal Rural Veterans Enhanced by Lived Experience Veteran Peer Participation
Describes a pilot virtual suicide intervention program utilizing lived-experience rural peers offered to rural Arkansas veterans. Discusses successful implementation of peer recovery leaders and program impacts on firearm storage practices. Offers lessons learned and recommendations to those considering a similar program.
Author(s): Marianne Goodman, Madison Strouse, Caroline Boucher, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Psychiatry, 16
Date: 03/2025
view details
Public Health Research and Program Strategies for Diabetes Prevention and Management
Editorial describing diabetes prevention and management efforts and policy since 1975. Discusses disparities in diabetes prevalence including rural residence. Highlights current and future work in diabetes prevention and management.
Author(s): Shelly-Ann Bowen, Arsham Alamian, Stephen Onufrak
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Mailed Outreach and Patient Navigation for Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Rural Medicaid Enrollees: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial
Evaluates the effectiveness of a fecal immunochemical test (FIT) outreach and patient navigation program among 5,614 rural Medicaid enrollees in 28 Oregon primary care clinics. Discusses the impact of the program on follow-up care.
Author(s): Gloria D. Coronado, Amanda F. Petrik, Michael C. Leo, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(3), e250928
Date: 03/2025
view details
Rising Rural Mortality Rates From Natural Causes for Working-Age Adults Lead to Widening Gap With Urban Counterparts
Reports on disparities in natural cause mortality rates between rural and urban working age adults. Explores disparities by various demographic factors and underlying causes.
Author(s): Kelsey L. Thomas (Conley), Elizabeth A. Dobis, David McGranahan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Media Advocacy for Farm Safety and Health: Current Landscape and Future Directions
Evaluates 89 news articles to examine how media depicts agricultural health and safety. Identifies strategies for improving the use of media in agricultural safety advocacy for public health practitioners.
Author(s): Pamela J. Milkovich, Sarah Perez-Sanz, Kim Garcia, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 970
Date: 03/2025
view details