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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence by Race and Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Urbanicity, and Social Determinants of Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes
Examines demographic disparities in cardiovascular disease prevalence among people with diabetes, utilizing 2015–2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data. Includes sociodemographic data, including rural-urban comparisons, on crude and adjusted prevalence of myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure.
Author(s): Xilin Zhou, Joohyun Park, Deborah B. Rolka, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240270
Date: 03/2025
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QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years with Chronic Pain in the Past 3 Months, by Sex and Urbanization Level — United States, 2023
Bar chart showing the percentage of men and percentage of women that experienced chronic pain in the last three months in metropolitan compared to nonmetro areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(7), 125
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Private Childcare Establishments per 1,000 Children in Rural Areas Have Increased but Are Now Less than in Urban Areas
Bar chart comparing the number of private childcare establishments in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas between 2013-2017 and 2018-2022.
Author(s): Brandon Genetin, Kelsey L. Thomas (Conley)
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Beliefs of US Chiefs of Police about Substance Use Disorder, Fentanyl Exposure, Overdose Response, and Use of Discretion: Results from a National Survey
Examines police chief perceptions regarding substance use. Focuses on issues such as discretion when making arrests, overdose response, risks of fentanyl exposure, de-escalation practices, harmful drugs in their communities, and buprenorphine obtained via illicit means. Analyzes survey data from 276 police chiefs regarding their knowledge and attitudes on addiction and policing, with breakdowns according to their region, urbanicity, and experience.
Author(s): Amelia Bailey, Barbara Andraka-Christou, Saba Rouhani, et al.
Citation: Health & Justice, 13, 13
Date: 03/2025
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Lung Cancer Disparities in Rural, Persistent Poverty Counties: A Secondary Data Analysis
Examines lung cancer incidence and mortality according to county-level smoking rates, rurality, and poverty. Analyzes county types, such as urban and non-persistent poverty, urban and persistent poverty, rural and non-persistent poverty, and rural and persistent poverty as correlated with lung cancer disparities.
Author(s): Veronica Bernacchi, Kelly Hirko, Eric Adjei Boakye, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 878
Date: 03/2025
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Legal-Involved Veterans Are Less Likely to Receive Guideline-Concordant Colorectal Cancer Screening
Examines rates of screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) for veterans who are legal-involved. Provides Veterans Health Administration (VHA) electronic health record data on CRC for veterans who are and who are not legal-involved, with further breakdowns by demographic variables, such as rurality.
Author(s): Kenneth J. Nieser, Alex H. S. Harris, Ingrid A. Binswanger, Sean C. Clark, Andrea K. Finlay
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 25, 333
Date: 03/2025
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Georgia State of the State: Maternal Health Report
Summarizes data and evidence regarding maternal health indicators in Georgia. Offers recommendations for further improving the health of mothers and babies. Includes statistics related to fetal, infant, and maternal health in Georgia with breakdowns by demographics and rural or nonrural locations.
Author(s): Fowzio Jama, Whitney Williams, Yuzhe Liu, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia
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Vaccine-Preventable Conditions: Disparities in Hospitalizations Affecting Rural Communities in the Southeast United States
Examines hospitalizations related to vaccine-preventable diseases in southeastern U.S. communities. Analyzes data prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic across 3 age groups: pre-school children, school-aged children, and adults. Provides data breakdowns according to condition, age, and large metro, small/medium metro, or micro/non-core location.
Author(s): Etienne Pracht, Christina Eldredge, Divyani Tangudu, Richa Phuel, Athanasios Tsalatsanis
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(4), 466
Date: 03/2025
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Women's Experiences with Preventive and Health Care Services: Findings from the 2024 KFF Women's Health Survey
Provides information on utilization of women's healthcare services with 2024 KFF survey data. Focuses on healthcare status, healthcare access, preventative health services, and more, with breakdowns by demographic variables, including urbanicity for select findings.
Author(s): Ivette Gomez, Brittni Frederiksen, Alina Salganicoff
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Screening and Referral Programs for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Can Community Pharmacists Bridge the Care Gap?
Examines the community-based valued-driven care initiative (CVCI) in community pharmacies to evaluate its effectiveness related to screening and referral (S&R) to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Analyzes patient demographics and success rates of CVD and DM S&R in 6 community pharmacies, with both rural and urban locations represented.
Author(s): Melanie Livet, Amber Watson, Shweta Pathak, et al.
Citation: Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy, 17, 100539
Date: 03/2025
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