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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Public health

Overview of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes in 2023
Research note providing data on all police-reported traffic crashes including fatalities and people injured from the 2023 Fatality Analysis Reporting System Annual Report File and the 2023 Crash Report Sampling System, along with data in prior years. Features statistics on fatalities from 2014-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Evaluation of FMVSS No. 226: Curtain Air Bags and Ejection Mitigation in Rollover Events
Results of a study evaluating the likelihood of occupant ejection in the presence of curtain air bags deployable during a rollover, and how other factors can affect this outcome. Uses data from the Crash Report Sampling System for 2016-2021. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and mentions rural throughout.
Author(s): Eliseo Acevedo Díaz
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Occupant Restraint Use in 2023: Results From the NOPUS Controlled Intersection Study
Presents results from the 2023 National Occupant Protection Use Survey (NOPUS) Controlled Intersection Study. Features statistics from 2022 and 2023 including child restraint use by age, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Lacey B. Werth
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Human Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) — California, September–December 2024
Reports on increased risk for infection from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) among people who work closely with dairy cows, poultry, or other animals with suspected or confirmed infection. Includes data on investigations that led to identification of 38 people who tested positive for HPAI A(H5N1) viruses in California, including 37 dairy farm workers with exposure to sick cows, and one child with an undetermined exposure.
Author(s): Sophie Zhu, Kathleen Harriman, Caterina Liu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(8), 127–133
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rural Health Disparities and Differences in Definitions of Rurality
Examines health disparities and differences in healthcare characteristics between rural and nonrural counties using data from the 2023 County Health Rankings and 2021-2022 Area Health Resources Files. Compares community health and healthcare characteristics by two county-level urban-rural classification systems: Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) and Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs). Explores the degree to which four county-level classification systems - RUCC, CBSA, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Urban-Rural Classification Scheme for Counties, and Urban Influence Codes (UIC) - agree regarding which counties are designated as rural.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Infection of Indoor Domestic Cats Within Dairy Industry Worker Households — Michigan, May 2024
Reports on two ill domestic cats infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus that lived in homes of dairy workers but had no known direct exposure to farms impacted by HPAI A(H5N1).
Author(s): Ramya Naraharisetti, Meghan Weinberg, Becky Stoddard, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(5);61-65
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Notes from the Field: Seroprevalence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5) Virus Infections Among Bovine Veterinary Practitioners — United States, September 2024
Presents findings from testing 150 bovine veterinary practitioners for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) virus infection. Discusses the utility of seroprevalence assessments of recent HPAI A(H5) infection among practitioners at increased risk for exposure.
Author(s): Jerome Leonard, Elizabeth J. Harker, Christine M. Szablewski, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(4), 50-52
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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AHRQ Summit to Address Emergency Department Boarding: Technical Report
Report from an October 2024 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) summit to discuss emergency department boarding. Examines some of emergency physicians' biggest concerns and highlights possible solutions to address boarding head-on, including enhancing measurement and standards, re-aligning hospital incentives, and increasing support to empower emergency physicians to do their jobs effectively. Includes sections on rural patients and rural areas.
Author(s): Robin M. Weinick, Sean Bruna, Rachael M. Boicourt, Sean S. Michael, Laura L. Sessums
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Seat Belt Use in 2024 - Overall Results
Examines rates of seat belt use and occupant fatalities from 2011-2024. Includes data on seat belt use for 2023 and 2024 in rural and urban areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Eighth Biennial Report 2025: Health Issues for the State of North Dakota
Updates the previous seven editions of this report with a comprehensive examination of healthcare workforce licensure data related to number of licensed professionals, locations, specialties, and demographics in rural and urban North Dakota. Includes three new chapters on indigenous health, women's and children's health, and the community impacts of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
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