Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Binge Alcohol Use in the Past Month
Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight binge alcohol in the previous month use among adults and youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of survey participants including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight binge alcohol in the previous month use among adults and youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of survey participants including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Major Depressive Episode or Serious Thoughts of Suicide in the Past Year among Adolescents
Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight major depressive episodes and thoughts of suicide among youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of youth surveyed including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Report using 2022-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to highlight major depressive episodes and thoughts of suicide among youth aged 12 to 17. Appendix includes demographic and geographic characteristics of youth surveyed including 5 levels of urbanization by county.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Sources of Health Insurance among Adults with Long COVID: Estimates from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
Examines the prevalence of ongoing symptoms after COVID-19 exposure (Long COVID), prevalence of activity-limiting Long COVID, and sources of health insurance among adults reporting Long COVID, utilizing Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. See Tables 1 and 2 for a comparison of the prevalence of Long COVID and activity-limiting Long COVID between metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and non-MSAs, among other factors.
Author(s): Thomas M. Selden, Zhengyi Fang, Steven C. Hill
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Examines the prevalence of ongoing symptoms after COVID-19 exposure (Long COVID), prevalence of activity-limiting Long COVID, and sources of health insurance among adults reporting Long COVID, utilizing Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. See Tables 1 and 2 for a comparison of the prevalence of Long COVID and activity-limiting Long COVID between metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and non-MSAs, among other factors.
Author(s): Thomas M. Selden, Zhengyi Fang, Steven C. Hill
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Community Health Centers and Rural Health: Essential Access, Enduring Challenges
Discusses the role community health centers (CHCs) play in delivering primary care in rural areas. Describes the challenges rural CHCs face and strategies to stabilize and strengthen these facilities. Includes data on the rural CHC workforce and the percentage of all CHC patients served by a rural CHC by state. Compares healthcare quality, the percent of medical and mental health visits that were virtual, and the percent of patients with select chronic conditions by rural and urban location.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of Community Health Centers, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Discusses the role community health centers (CHCs) play in delivering primary care in rural areas. Describes the challenges rural CHCs face and strategies to stabilize and strengthen these facilities. Includes data on the rural CHC workforce and the percentage of all CHC patients served by a rural CHC by state. Compares healthcare quality, the percent of medical and mental health visits that were virtual, and the percent of patients with select chronic conditions by rural and urban location.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: National Association of Community Health Centers, WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Characteristics of Family Medicine Physician Associates/Assistants in the United States
Examines characteristics of physician associates/assistants (PAs) who work in family medicine (FM). Utilizes 2023 National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) data to analyze PAs in FM, PAs working outside of FM, PA demographics, urban versus rural employment setting, practice characteristics, and more.
Author(s): Bethany Grubb, Cynthia F. Griffith, Mirela Bruza-Augatis, Kasey Puckett, Andrzej Kozikowski
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 1220
Date: 09/2025
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Examines characteristics of physician associates/assistants (PAs) who work in family medicine (FM). Utilizes 2023 National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) data to analyze PAs in FM, PAs working outside of FM, PA demographics, urban versus rural employment setting, practice characteristics, and more.
Author(s): Bethany Grubb, Cynthia F. Griffith, Mirela Bruza-Augatis, Kasey Puckett, Andrzej Kozikowski
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 1220
Date: 09/2025
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Colorectal Cancer Survival Disparities in Persistent Poverty Areas
Presents a study exploring the effect of living in a persistent poverty census tract on colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates in both rural and urban locations. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, treatment type, and tumor location, among other measures. Draws data from 2013-2019 cancer registry and 2013-2021 death records.
Author(s): Peter DelNero, Mario Schootman, Cheng Peng, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70045
Date: 09/2025
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Presents a study exploring the effect of living in a persistent poverty census tract on colorectal cancer (CRC) survival rates in both rural and urban locations. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, treatment type, and tumor location, among other measures. Draws data from 2013-2019 cancer registry and 2013-2021 death records.
Author(s): Peter DelNero, Mario Schootman, Cheng Peng, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70045
Date: 09/2025
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Rural/Urban Disparities in the Availability of Diabetes Prevention Programs in US Hospitals
Examines access to Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs) by geographic and socioeconomic variables. Analyzes DPPs in 3,204 general medical hospitals according to sociodemographic variables such as food environment, insurance rates, income, and more, as well as hospital characteristics, such as ownership type, geographic region, and county location of metro, micro, or noncore.
Author(s): Allyson Hughes, Shyamkumar Sriram, Berkeley Franz, Cory Cronin
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 09/2025
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Examines access to Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs) by geographic and socioeconomic variables. Analyzes DPPs in 3,204 general medical hospitals according to sociodemographic variables such as food environment, insurance rates, income, and more, as well as hospital characteristics, such as ownership type, geographic region, and county location of metro, micro, or noncore.
Author(s): Allyson Hughes, Shyamkumar Sriram, Berkeley Franz, Cory Cronin
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 09/2025
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Comprehensive Analysis of the Supply, Demand, and Affordability of Senior Housing in Rural Pennsylvania
Examines the housing circumstances of rural Pennsylvania residents age 65 and over, by analyzing population projections, demographics, housing situations, and financial conditions. Features statistics including health insurance status of senior residents, with breakdowns by private, public, or no insurance, and numbers of senior residents who lived in a nursing home during 2023, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Thuy Bui, Benjamas Jirasakuldech
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Examines the housing circumstances of rural Pennsylvania residents age 65 and over, by analyzing population projections, demographics, housing situations, and financial conditions. Features statistics including health insurance status of senior residents, with breakdowns by private, public, or no insurance, and numbers of senior residents who lived in a nursing home during 2023, with breakdowns by rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Thuy Bui, Benjamas Jirasakuldech
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Vermont Suicide Data Linkage Project: 2022-2023 Data Analysis
Identifies risk factors for suicide, populations at disproportionate risk for suicide, and patterns in how Vermonters who died by suicide interacted with various state, community systems, and services prior to death. Features statistics with breakdowns including suicides by rural or urban residence and suicides of rural veterans and elderly people.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
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Identifies risk factors for suicide, populations at disproportionate risk for suicide, and patterns in how Vermonters who died by suicide interacted with various state, community systems, and services prior to death. Features statistics with breakdowns including suicides by rural or urban residence and suicides of rural veterans and elderly people.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
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Comparing Guillain-Barré Syndrome Outcomes Between Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Examines the impact of rural versus urban location on patient outcomes for Guillain-Barré Syndrome-related hospitalizations, utilizing 2021 National Inpatient Sample data. Provides data on patient outcomes including mortality, length of stay, complications, and discharge disposition. Highlights differences in clinical factors and patient demographics influencing care in rural and urban settings.
Author(s): Anudeep Surendranath, Rahul Damani, Anushareddy Muddasani, Anupam Kumar Gupta
Citation: PLoS One, 20(9), e0333403
Date: 09/2025
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Examines the impact of rural versus urban location on patient outcomes for Guillain-Barré Syndrome-related hospitalizations, utilizing 2021 National Inpatient Sample data. Provides data on patient outcomes including mortality, length of stay, complications, and discharge disposition. Highlights differences in clinical factors and patient demographics influencing care in rural and urban settings.
Author(s): Anudeep Surendranath, Rahul Damani, Anushareddy Muddasani, Anupam Kumar Gupta
Citation: PLoS One, 20(9), e0333403
Date: 09/2025
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