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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Association of the Built Environment with Physical Activity and Adiposity in Rural and Urban Youth
Examines if differences exist for body mass index (BMI) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) between rural and urban youth. Determines if perceived and objective measures of environmental supports for physical activity have a difference in correlation with BMI and MVPA in rural and urban youth. Includes environmental characteristic data by BMI and MVPA.
Author(s): Justine B. Moore, Jason Brinkley, Thomas W. Crawford, Kelly R. Evenson, Ross C. Brownson
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 56(2), 145-148
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
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Understanding Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy: Does Residential Context Matter?
Examines the association between rurality, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and county-level social capital defined as the connections between individuals, including social networks, reciprocity, and trustworthiness. Includes descriptive statistics on the women and their pregnancies, as well as information on county social capital and racial/ethnic composition.
Author(s): Carla Shoff, Tse-Chuan Yang
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 78, 50-60
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
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Measuring Socioeconomic Inequality in the Incidence of AIDS: Rural-urban Considerations
Presents a study on the role socioeconomic status (SES) as a risk factor in the incidence of HIV/AIDS. Compares data from rural and urban areas of Florida. Discusses SES indicators factored into the study, such as poverty status, access to a car, and unemployment, among others.
Author(s): Theophile Niyonsenga, Mary Jo Trepka, Spencer Lieb, Lorene M. Maddox
Citation: AIDS and Behavior, 17(2), 700-709
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
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June 2012: Rural MA Enrollment and Premium Update
Presents key findings on rural Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment and on rural Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) enrollment.
Author(s): Leah Kemper, Abigail Barker, Timothy D. McBride, Keith Mueller
Date: 02/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Does Core Area Theory Apply to STIs in Rural Environments?
Examines whether geographical core areas for gonorrhea and syphilis exist in rural versus urban North Carolina. Includes spatial analysis and maps of gonorrhea and syphilis rates by census tract, clusters overlaid on rural urban commuting areas, and clusters overlaid with each other.
Author(s): Dionne C. Gesink, Ashleigh B. Sullivan, Todd Norwood, Marc L. Serre, William C. Miller
Citation: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 40(1), 32-40
Date: 01/2013
Type: Document
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Rural Residence and Adoption of a Novel HIV Therapy in a National, Equal-Access Healthcare System
Reports the results of a study examining the use of raltegravir, the first HIV integrase inhibitor, in Veterans Affairs (VA) patients. Provides rural versus urban participant characteristic statistics by race/ethnicity, AIDS defining illness, substance abuse, and more. Includes a discussion of barriers to new forms of HIV treatment for rural residents, such as geographic distance, transportation, and limited access to specialists in the field.
Author(s): Michael Ohl, Brian Lund, Pamela S. Belperio, et al.
Citation: AIDS and Behavior, 17(1), 250-259
Date: 01/2013
Type: Document
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Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Inpatient Stays for Seasonal and 2009 H1N1 Influenza, 2008-2009
Compares emergency department visits and hospitalizations for influenza in a typical year, 2008, with 2009's H1N1 pandemic. Includes data by location of the patient's residence, for urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Lori Uscher-Pines, Anne Elixhauser
Date: 01/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Dialysis Availability in Rural America
Explores the availability of dialysis services in rural America including the prevalence of dialysis use across urban and rural counties, travel distance for services, and dialysis quality outcomes.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Amy Martin, Kevin J. Bennett, Nathan Hale, Janice C. Probst
Date: 01/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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HIV/AIDS in Rural America: Prevalence and Service Availability
Examines the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in rural counties across 28 states in 2008 and the rural-versus-urban distribution of Ryan White providers.
Additional links: Fact Sheet
Author(s): Medha Vyavaharkar, Saundra Glover, Deshia Leonhirth, Janice Probst
Date: 01/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Enforcement of Ohio's Smoke Free Workplace Law Through the Lens of Public Health Practice
Provides a rural versus urban comparison of Ohio's public health workforce enforcing a smoke-free workplace law in Ohio to determine agency and workforce associations. Includes demographic data and county and agency characteristic data by region, jurisdiction, rural versus urban, and status of enforcement of the law.
Author(s): David Bruckman, Terry Allan, Matthew Stefanak, et al.
Citation: Public Health Reports, 128(1), 54-63
Date: 2013
Type: Document
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