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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural definitions

2018 Farm Bill Primer: Rural Development Programs
Highlights the new rural development provisions included in the 2018 Farm Bill, which address rural access to high-speed broadband, rural health, loans and grants for rural water and wastewater infrastructure, economic development, and more. Outlines changes in how rural is defined for these programs.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Oklahoma Counties by Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2013
Provides a map showing counties in Oklahoma shaded by metro/non-metro rural-urban continuum codes.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Oklahoma State University Center for Rural Health
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Minnesota Rural-Urban Commuting Areas – Explanation of County Categories
Presents two maps of Minnesota, one by county and the other by census tract, showing various rural categories based on Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA). Also includes definitions for these rural categories.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Assessing the Unintended Consequences of Health Policy on Rural Populations and Places
Explores health policies that have affected, or could potentially have affected, rural people, places, and providers, in ways that ran counter to policy intent. Examines 6 historical health policies and their effect on rural health systems. Includes a framework for analyzing policy impact on rural populations and places.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charlie Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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An Overview of the National Cancer Institute's Initiatives to Accelerate Rural Cancer Control Research
Highlights initiatives developed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to address the obstacles and opportunities in rural cancer control research. Summarizes discussions from an NCI-hosted national meeting held on May 30-31, 2018. Conference topics centered on rural definitions, surveillance and epidemiologic research, overcoming methodologic challenges, executing multilevel interventions, and using implementation science in rural cancer control.
Author(s): Amy E. Kennedy, Robin C. Vanderpool, Robert T. Croyle, Shobha Srinivasan
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 27(11), 1240-1244
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
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Counting Rural America: A Guide to 2020 Census Operations
Discusses the U.S. Census Bureau's special operations for counting populations in remote rural areas, including locations without mailing addresses, with high seasonal vacancies, or areas recovering from national disasters. Addresses the challenges of limited internet access and cell phone service, and methods to improve the count in these areas. Identifies specific Hard-to-count (HTC) populations, and ways local governments, businesses, and service providers can ensure an accurate count in rural areas.
Author(s): Cara Brumfield, Sophie Khan
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality
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Definitions of "Rural" in Texas Statutes and the Texas Administrative Code
Details the various definitions of rural used by the state of Texas. Features maps illustrating the counties considered rural by each definition.
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Legislative Council
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Greater Minnesota: Refined & Revisited
Provides information on the composition of Minnesota's geography by urban, large town, small town, and rural based on population and proximity to other communities. Examines economics, demographics, and general well-being of the different population areas with explanation of how they are defined. Includes county-level maps breaking down demographic variables by population size as well as data tables that show population changes by county.
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota State Demographic Center
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The Future of the Frontier: Water, Energy & Climate in America's Most Remote Communities
Examines the demographic background of frontier areas in the U.S. using level two of the Frontier and Remote Area Code methodology (FAR2), in comparison to the nation as a whole. Describes the history, county-level planning issues, climate change, and water and energy concerns unique to frontier regions.
Author(s): Michael Borsellino, Glenn Davis, Brian Kempf, et al.
Date: 2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Frontier Communities
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Rurality Matters
An overview of a Census Bureau identification of counties as mostly urban, mostly rural, and completely rural, based on 2010 Census data. Includes charts showing selected statistics by rurality for adults and children, using 2011-2015 American Community Survey data.
Author(s): Kelly Ann Holder, Alison Fields, Daphne Lofquist
Date: 12/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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