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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Poverty

Summer Meals: Actions Needed to Improve Participation Estimates and Address Program Challenges
Examines what is known about Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) participation, other summer programs that feed low-income children, challenges in providing rural children with summer meals, and the extent to which the USDA provides assistance. Includes maps of area eligibility and meal sites in selected states.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Addressing Health and Health Care Needs in the United States-Mexico Border Region
Policy position brief describing geography and demographics of the border region, population health and healthcare issues, factors contributing to the health crisis, public policy implications, and suggestions for addressing needs. Comprises Executive Summary and Full Report.
Author(s): Brian Lady, Carrie Henning-Smith, Susan Kunz
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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What Unites and Divides Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities
Report highlights different outcomes and opinions of people in rural, suburban, and urban communities on a number of topics, including demographic shifts, urgent problems, and life satisfaction, among others. Features demographic data, a county level breakdown, and a case study highlighting a rural, suburban, and urban county.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Kim Parker, Juliana Horowitz, Anna Brown, et al.
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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The IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network: Building Research Capacity among the Rural and Medically Underserved
Describes the activities of the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network, a product of the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program developed to enhance the competitiveness of research in states with low success rates for funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH). IDeA states exhibit high numbers of rural and medically underserved populations along with high rates of infant mortality, obesity, and poverty. Describes work underway to increase research capacity and access to clinical trials in the IDeA states. Introduces two proposed novel clinical trials with interventions for children who are overweight or obese.
Author(s): Jessica Snowden, Paul Darden, Paul Palumbo, Phil Saul, Jeannette Lee
Citation: Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(2), 297-302
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
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A Compass for Families: Head Start in Rural America
Report details the importance of Head Start programs to rural communities. Discusses the services Head Start provides for rural families, such as child care, connection to health services, and transportation, among others. Features county-level data and rural-urban comparisons.
Author(s): Rasheed Malik, Leila Schochet
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Rural Child Poverty Was Most Concentrated in the Mississippi Delta
Map showing average child poverty rates for rural counties, based on 2012-2016 American Community Survey data. Discusses the counties with the highest child poverty, including counties in the Mississippi Delta region.
Date: 04/2018
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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2018 County Health Rankings Key Findings Report
Provides information on county-level health disparities by analyzing health factors and outcomes throughout the U.S. Covers low birthweight, residential segregation, child poverty, teen births, and more. Includes key findings and steps communities can take to improve health outcomes.
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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A Supermarket Double-Dollar Incentive Program Increases Purchases of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables among Low Income Families with Children: The Healthy Double Study
Analyzes results from a randomized control study at a supermarket in rural Maine to assess whether financial incentives are effective in increasing the number of fruits and vegetables low-income families purchase. Includes participants' weekly spending on fruits and vegetables, with data categorized by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation.
Author(s): Michele Polacsek, Alyssa Moran, Anne Thorndike, et al.
Citation: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50(3), 217-228.e1
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
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How Does Household Income Affect Child Personality Traits and Behaviors?
Reports on a study using longitudinal data to determine the effects of family income on a child's emotional and behavioral health, and personality characteristics, and the mechanisms supporting these effects. The study included American Indian families who received financial support from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians tribal government, and compared changes at the household level prior to and after receiving these funds, as well as comparisons with families who did not receive this funding. Comparisons of economic status were noted between rural Native Americans and rural African Americans.
Author(s): Randall Akee, William Copeland, E. Jane Costello, Emilia Simeonova
Citation: American Economic Review,108(3), 775-827
Date: 03/2018
Type: Document
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A Systematic Review of Clinic and Community Intervention to Increase Fecal Testing for Colorectal Cancer in Rural and Low-income Populations in the United States - How, What and When?
Reports on a systematic review of studies intended to improve fecal testing rates in rural and low-income areas to increase early identification of colorectal cancer. Compares the effectiveness of different interventions and discusses the interaction of context and implementation strategies on their effectiveness.
Author(s): Melinda M. Davis, Michele Freeman, Jackilen Shannon, et al.
Citation: BMC Cancer, 18(40)
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
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