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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

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 historical context in their messages.
Date: 07/2024
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
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
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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
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
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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
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
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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
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Prevalence of Mental Health Conditions Was on the Rise Before the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Pandemic Had a Negative Effect on Mental Health
Data spotlight on mental illness, depression, and suicide among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes disparities and discusses barriers to care related to a variety of sociodemographic factors including geography. See Figures 3, 7, and 8 for data on health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), mental health-related emergency department visits, and suicide deaths by level of rurality.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Building Resilience: How Recent Federal Policy Is Laying the Groundwork for Improved Climate Adaptation
Examines the intersection of public health, climate change, and equity and details federal policy that focuses on climate adaptation and resilience strategies for underserved, rural, and/or tribal communities. Provides resources and collaborative opportunities for public health departments to address climate change issues in their local areas. Includes data on global surface temperature by year and state-by-state infrastructure funding to improve environmental health.
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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