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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Public High School Graduation Rates in Rural Areas
Provides 2019-2020 public high school student graduation rates according to locale of city, suburban, town, or rural.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
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English Learners and Students with Disabilities in Rural Public Schools
Provides 2019 data to show percentages of students who are English language learners or who have disabilities according to city, suburban, town, or rural locale.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
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Educational Expectations and Involvement of Parents in Rural Areas
Provides 2019 data on the percentages of parents who engaged in educational activities with their children, with data broken down by type of activity, level of education of parents, and locale of city, suburban, town, or rural.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
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Children in Rural Areas and Their Family Characteristics
Provides 2019 data on the percentages of children aged 5 to 17 enrolled in school, the highest education level of their parents, and their family structure by locale, with breakdowns by city, suburban, town, and rural. Includes poverty levels of children by state.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
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Use of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Among Adults With Past-Year Opioid Use Disorder in the US, 2021
Evaluated 47,291 adults using the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to determine whether rates of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) use changed following implementation of COVID-19 pandemic policies intended to increase availability. Discusses gender, age, race and ethnicity, telehealth, and metro versus nonmetro residence.
Author(s): Christopher M. Jones, Beth Han, Grant T. Baldwin, Emily B. Einstein, Wilson M. Compton
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(8)
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
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Summer Food Service Program Integrity Study
Examines how state agencies and sponsors of the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) administer programs, maintain oversight and integrity, identify challenges, and provide resources and training. Utilizes 2021 data from state SFSP agencies to analyze SFSP staffing, funding, and outreach; eligibility of sites; program training, technical assistance, and resources; meal counting and claiming; the monitoring of operations and turnover; and impact of COVID-19 on SFSP integrity. Includes data on rural versus urban SFSP experiences.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Lindsay Giesen, Alice Ann Gola, Maeve Gearing, et al.
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Sexual Minorities Are Not a Homogeneous Population: Health Disparity Differences Based on Residence in Rural Versus Urban Settings
Evaluated 210,392 sexual minorities (SMs) between 2015 and 2019 to determine whether rural SMs are at increased risk for chronic disease. Includes discussion of insurance status, gender, rural and urban comparisons, and multiple chronic illnesses.
Author(s): Ethan Morgan, Kathryn Lancaster, Yootapichai Phosri, Janelle Ricks, Christina Dyar
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(3), 8052
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
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Examining the Diversity of the Rural United States
Explores the sociodemographic diversity of rural counties. Discusses research on the mortality for chronic respiratory diseases, substance use disorders, and transportation injuries by ethnicity and urbanicity. Describes the importance of engaging local community members and organizations to understand the needs of rural communities. Profiles Jefferson County, Oregon, diversity in rural Central Oregon, and the Central Oregon Regional Health Assessment.
Author(s): Parkes Kendrick
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Think Global Health
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Behavioral Health Workforce
Summarizes recent research from Rural Health Research Centers examining numbers of social workers, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and counselors. Features statistics including percent of counties without behavioral health professionals from 2014-2021 and behavioral health professionals per 100,000 residents from 2014-2021, with breakdowns by urban or rural location and profession type.
Author(s): Jessica Rosencrans
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Public Belief in the Maternal Health Benefits of Breastfeeding — United States, 2018 and 2021
Examines public belief in breastfeeding health benefits for the mother. Utilizes 2018 and 2021 survey data to analyze perceptions related to decreased cancer, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes risk according to survey respondent gender, age, race/ethnicity, education, income, employment, marital status, region, and metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Ellen O. Boundy, Jennifer M. Nelson, Ruowei Li
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 08/2023
Type: Document
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