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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Public health

Community Forums as Amplifiers of Communities' Voices: Isolated Communities in Puerto Rico
Highlights a study on health-related issues in isolated communities in Puerto Rico. Utilizes a community forum to identify health-related issues, such as primary care and mental health access, social determinants of health, emergency preparedness, and COVID-19 vaccinations, among other measures.
Author(s): Yashira M. Sánchez Colón, Edna Acosta Pérez, Mayra L. Roubert Rivera, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(14), 6335
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
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Delivery of High-Speed Broadband Services in Unserved and Underserved Areas of the Commonwealth (Pennsylvania): Fourth Annual Report
Provides an update on the role of broadband in education, telehealth, agriculture, and community and economic development; barriers to development; funding resources; developments in Pennsylvania state and local initiatives; and efforts to identify unserved and underserved Pennsylvania communities. Includes a discussion of the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority and new federal funding for expansion and development in Pennsylvania.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Yvonne Llewellyn Hursh, Lydia Hack, Allison N. Kobzowicz, Bryan W. DeWalt, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Unvaccinated Adolescents' COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions: Implications for Public Health Messaging
Examines factors related to COVID-19 vaccine intentions in the U.S. adolescent population. Analyzes April 2021 survey data of 831 unvaccinated respondents regarding their vaccine hesitancy or acceptance according to age, gender, rurality, race/ethnicity, and concerns over COVID-19 infection and vaccine side effects, as well as additional factors impacting their vaccination decisions.
Author(s): Grace W. Ryan, Natoshia M. Askelson, Kate R. Woodworth, et al.
Citation: Journal of Adolescent Health, 73(4), 679-685
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
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Perceived Barriers and Benefits of COVID-19 Testing among Pacific Islanders on Guam
Results of a project aiming to promote COVID-19 testing among Pacific Islanders using culturally relevant community-tailored strategies with culturally and linguistically appropriate educational materials, and to identify the factors associated with COVID-19 testing. Uses data collected from June 2021 to July 2022.
Author(s): Rachael T. Leon Guerrero, Angelina G. Mummert, Dareon C. Rios, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(13), 6302
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2021 Data: Speeding
Contains information on speeding-related and non-speeding-related fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Features statistics on rates of injury and death, sex and age group of speeding drivers, previous 5-year driving records of speeding drivers, alcohol involvement, time of day and weekday or weekend, roadway surface condition, and roadway function class, with breakdowns including interstate rural and non-interstate rural.
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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We Are All in This Together: Rurality, Social Cohesion, and COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors
Examines how social cohesion, rurality, and individual behaviors to prevent COVID-19 are related. Analyzes 2,926 participant survey responses in 2021 according to COVID-19 experiences and attitudes, social distancing behaviors, and tendencies to remain home while sick, with data broken down by demographic variables such as rural versus urban, age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and marriage status. Discusses the importance of understanding rural culture and behaviors when communicating public health strategies.
Author(s): Radhika Sood, Juliette Entenman, Erin Kitt-Lewis, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Rural Health, 40(1), 154-161
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
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Impact of the COVID-19 Vaccination Mandate on the Primary Care Workforce and Differences Between Rural and Urban Settings to Inform Future Policy Decision-Making
Analyzes the impact of COVID-19 vaccination mandates on the primary healthcare workforce in rural and urban settings. Examines 2021 survey data from 38 rural and 42 urban clinics in Oregon about issues such as job losses, vaccination waivers, and newly vaccinated staff. Includes data on clinic characteristics and impacts of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate across rural and urban clinics, as well as qualitative feedback from survey respondents.
Author(s): Brigit A. Hatch, Erin Kenzie, NithyaPriya Ramalingam, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 18(6)
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
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Competencies, Training Needs, and Turnover Among Rural Compared With Urban Local Public Health Practitioners: 2021 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey
Analyzes the rural and urban differences in 29,751 public health workers surveyed regarding competencies, training needs, and workplace stressors. Discusses COVID-19 impacts on public health work.
Author(s): Paula M. Kett, Betty Bekemeier, Davis G. Patterson, Kay Schaffer
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 113(6), 689-699
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
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2023 Minnesota Adolescent Sexual Health Report
Highlights the rates of pregnancies and births among Minnesota adolescents from 1990-2021, and sexually transmitted infections from 2010-2022. Features sections on racial/ethnic disparities, adolescent sexual health and COVID-19, and geographic disparities between urban and rural areas, including a county-level map showing counties with the highest chlamydia and gonorrhea rates among adolescents.
Author(s): Jill Farris, H. Olson
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Minnesota Department of Health, University of Minnesota
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Indicators of Healthy Aging: A Guide to Explore Healthy Aging Data through Community Health Improvement
Provides an overview for local health departments (LHDs) and partners to assess the components of healthy aging in their communities through research, data, and practice. Focuses on tracking health indicators and the social determinants of health (SDOH) and how to use data while considering community-level factors that impact healthcare access, such as race/ethnicity, location/rurality, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) status, and more.
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of County and City Health Officials, Trust for America's Health
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