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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Research methods and resources

Initiating Research in Indian Country: Lessons From the Strong Heart Study
Discusses the process of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) initiating studies to examine cardiovascular disease in rural and remote areas, isolated popultions, and sovereign nations. Discusses the steps in conducting research with a focus on building trust, transparent implementation, and mutual feedback and results sharing.
Author(s): Barbara V. Howard, Elisa T. Lee, Thomas K. Welty, Richard R. Fabsitz
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 04/2025
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Two Modeling Strategies in Analyzing Clustered Time-to-Event Data: The Strong Heart Family Study
Examines the use of the shared frailty and marginal Cox proportional hazards models to study associations between leukocyte telomere length and time-to-incident stroke among 4,635 American Indian study participants from tribal communities in Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Discusses effective use of data models for population genetic studies.
Author(s): Heather Willmott, Caroline Gochanour, Kai Ding, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240387
Date: 03/2025
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Translation and Assessment of Encultured Meaning of the Multi-Dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Diné Bizaad (Navajo) Using Community-Based Participatory Action Research Methods
Highlights the community-engaged research approach to translating the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) into the Diné bizaad (Navajo) language so that it can be used to measure perceived social support in Navajo communities. Breaks down the structure of the MSPSS and details the translation process through a community-based participatory research method.
Author(s): Tapati Dutta, Jon Agley, Camille Keith, Gregory Zimet
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 25(1), 9433
Date: 01/2025
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A Discrete Choice Experiment with Health Professions Trainees to Improve the Urban-Rural Health Care Access Disparity in Appalachia: Study Protocol
A study protocol that examines strategies and policies for successful recruitment of healthcare professionals in rural Appalachia. Discusses utilization of the discrete choice experiment methodology (DCE) to analyze medical residents and fellows, physician assistant (PA) students, and nurse practitioner (NP) students and their location choice for employment.
Author(s): Chris Gillette, Jan Ostermann, Sarah Garvick, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 20(1), e0316521
Date: 01/2025
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Resources for Measuring Rurality in Research on Maternity Care
Explores how different measures of rurality influence research outcomes, with a focus on maternal health research. Describes multiple measures and definitions commonly employed to categorize rural populations. Discusses the implications of these definitions for research, public health interventions, and policy formulation.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Emily C. Sheffield, Mary-Jane Adole, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Assessing the Feasibility of Creating a National Behavioral Health Workforce Database
Results of a project to determine the feasibility of developing a database of behavioral health providers and practices that offers up-to-date information to support research, policymaking, and public access. Identifies key elements, including demographics, licensure, education, and practice details. Includes information on databases focused on rural health.
Author(s): Frances Jiménez, Nicole Gauthreaux, Courtney Segal, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Partnering for Research at Your Center for Independent Living: Tips from Your Peers
Fact sheet offering nine helpful conditions for partnering for research at Centers for Independent Living (CILs) as identified by staff of rural CILs and State Independent Living Councils (SILCs). Describes how the guidance was developed and core Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles.
Author(s): Krys Standley, Hannah Pepprock, Rayna Sage
Date: 01/2025
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Braiding Research Approaches to Understand Home Visiting in Indigenous Communities
Provides a scoping review, research questions, and feedback from practitioners regarding Indigenous home visiting programs and Indigenous methodologies in home visiting research. Includes suggestions for research methodologies that incorporate cultural awareness and relationships in Indigenous communities.
Author(s): Natalie Moyer, Chelsea Wesner, Michelle Sarche, et al.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, The Center for Indigenous Research Collaboration and Learning for Home Visiting
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The Impact of Internet Connectivity When Conducting a Virtual Clinical Trial with Participants Living in Rural Areas
Evaluates the effectiveness of virtual randomized clinical trials for research involving rural family caregivers. Analyzes notes across 1,003 visits with research participants in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin to identify internet reliability issues and impact on the research. Discusses internet access a social determinant of health.
Author(s): Diane E. Holland, Catherine E. Vanderboom, Jay Mandrekar, et al.
Citation: Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 42, 101366
Date: 12/2024
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Tribal Epidemiology Centers: Strengthening American Indian and Alaska Native Public Health through Data, Collaboration, and Innovation
Provides an overview of tribal epidemiology centers (TECs), focusing on their impact on the availability and quality of public health surveillance data for American Indians and Alaskan Natives. Discusses challenges with collecting data for this population and strategies TECs are using to address these issues. Offers examples of public health best practices from TECs related to cancer, behavioral health, substance use, infectious diseases, and more.
Date: 11/2024
Sponsoring organization: Tribal Epidemiology Centers
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