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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Geographic Variation in Plan Uptake in the Federally Facilitated Marketplace
Combines data on health insurance plan selection in the federally facilitated marketplaces with estimates of people likely to qualify for the marketplace in order to calculate the percent of eligible people who chose a health insurance plan. Includes a heat map that illustrates which U.S. regions had the highest and lowest plan selection rates. Discusses differences for rural areas.
Author(s): Mark Holmes, Pam Silberman, Kristie Thompson, Victoria Freeman, Randy K. Randolph
Date: 10/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Assessing Environmental Support for Better Health: Active Living Opportunity Audits in Rural Communities in the Southern United States
Describes the built environment, policies, and availability of facilities for physical activity in eight rural communities, four in Alabama and four in the Mississippi Delta, to inform diet and physical activity interventions. Acts as part of a partnership to eliminate cancer health disparities in the Deep South. Includes community data by Rural Active Living Assessment (RALA) measures, such as sidewalks, destinations, and walk-ability.
Author(s): Jennifer C. Robinson, Tiffany L. Carson, Erica R. Johnson, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 66, 28-33
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
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The Associations Between Park Environments and Park Use in Southern US Communities
Examines park use, characteristics associated with parks and neighborhood environments in rural communities, and the relationship between park characteristics and park use. Includes data for 6 parks by demographics and park environment characteristics, such as park amenities or percent rural population.
Author(s): Jorge A. Banda, Sara Wilcox, Natalie Colabianchi, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 30(4), 369-378
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
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Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings
Presents summary results of the 2013 survey on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco by youth and adults. Includes data for metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.
Additional links: Detailed Tables
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Trends in Emergency Department Visits, 2006-2011
Provides data on changes in emergency department (ED) visits from 2006 to 2011. Table 1 includes information on the rate of ED use for rural areas compared to urban.
Author(s): Halcyon G. Skinner, Janice Blanchard, Anne Elixhauser
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Geographic Variation in Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations for Acute and Chronic Conditions, 2005-2011
Examines potentially preventable hospitalizations for adults from 2005 to 2011. Includes data for acute and chronic conditions by location of patient residence for large and small metropolitan, micropolitan, and remote rural areas.
Author(s): Celeste M. Torio , Roxanne M. Andrews
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Cause for Optimism? Child Poverty Declines for the First Time Since Before the Great Recession
Reports on child poverty rates between 2012 and 2013, highlighting the differences between rural and urban areas. Includes a breakdown of child poverty rates by state, region, and race/ethnicity.
Author(s): Marybeth Mattingly, Jessica A. Carson, Andrew Schaefer
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Community Health Centers: A 2012 Profile and Spotlight on Implications of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions
Offers information on community health centers, which provide access to care for patients in rural and medically underserved areas. Provides a comparison of health centers in Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states and the percentage of those health centers in rural versus urban locations.
Author(s): Peter Shin, Jessica Sharac, Sara Rosenbaum, Julia Paradise
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2013
Reports on health insurance coverage, including data on private insurance, government insurance coverage, and the uninsured. Table 5 (page 11) offers metropolitan and non-metropolitan data. Based on data from the 2014 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Author(s): Jessica C. Smith, Carla Medalia
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013
Reports on income levels and the number of people in poverty for 2012 and 2013, along with the percent change from 2012 to 2013. Includes statistics for metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas (see Table 1 and Table 3). Based on data from the 2014 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Author(s): Carmen DeNavas-Walt, Bernadette D. Proctor
Date: 09/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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