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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

The 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook
Updates information presented in Health, United States, 2001: With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook. Highlights current trends and disparities across different levels of metro and nonmetropolitan counties, including population characteristics; health-related behaviors and risk factors; mortality rates; healthcare access and use; mental health measures; and other health measures such as teen birth rates, tooth loss, and activity limitations due to chronic disease. Individual data tables are available in an Excel file.
Author(s): Michael Meit, Alana Knudson, Tess Gilbert, et al.
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Heart Disease
Policy brief reporting on rural disparities in heart disease and the associated risk factors of obesity and physical inactivity. Includes heart disease-related death rates and information on obesity prevalence by sex, region, and rural/urban status from 2008-2010. Based on data from the 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook.
Author(s): Alana Knudson, Michael Meit, Shena Popat
Date: 10/2014
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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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
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The Impact of Hospital Obstetric Volume on Maternal Outcomes in Term, Non-Low-Birthweight Pregnancies
Analyzes the impact of hospital obstetric volumes on maternal outcomes in low-risk women delivering non-low-birthweight infants at term. Includes hospital obstetric outcome data by rural and non-rural settings and hospital volume category. Compares rural and non-rural hospitals on maternal outcomes and characteristics.
Author(s): Jonathan M. Snowden, Yvonne W. Cheng, Cathy L. Emeis, Aaron B. Caughey
Citation: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 212(3), 380.e1-380.e9
Date: 09/2014
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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
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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
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
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Paediatric Trauma on the Last Frontier: An 11-Year Review of Injury Mechanisms, High-Risk Injury Patterns and Outcomes in Alaskan Children
Describes the development of a pediatric trauma system in remote, very rural, and urban Alaska from 2001 to 2011 using trauma data for all children 17 years and under. Includes comparative data for the type of injury and frequency, geographic region, high risk patterns, and outcomes.
Author(s): Christopher W. Snyder, Oliver J. Muensterer, Frank Sacco, Shawn D. Safford
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 73(1)
Date: 08/2014
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Association Between Individual and Geographic Factors and Nonadherence to Mammography Screening Guidelines
Identifies factors associated with nonadherence to mammography screening guidelines in Utah, such as travel time to the nearest mammography facility, geographic accessibility, and rural versus urban residence. Table 1 lists characteristics of the study population and Figure 1 illustrated the geographic factors.
Author(s): Kevin A. Henry, Kaila McDonald, Recinda Sherman, Anita Y. Kinney, Antoinette M. Stroup
Citation: Journal of Women's Health, 23(8), 664-674
Date: 08/2014
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Urban-Rural and Regional Variability in the Prevalence of Food Insecurity: The Survey of the Health of Wisconsin
Highlights a study on regional variability of food insecurity in Wisconsin from 2008-2012. Analyzes data based on age, race, and gender, and compares rural and urban areas of the state.
Author(s): Natalie Guerrero, Matthew C. Walsh, Kristen C. Malecki, F. Javier Nieto
Citation: Wisconsin Medical Journal, 113(4), 133-138
Date: 08/2014
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