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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

The Rural Food-Away-from-Home Landscape, 1990–2019
Examines the food-away-from-home (FAFH) landscape in nonmetropolitan counties between 1990 and 2019. Explores trends and differentiating features of FAFH access across the metropolitan divide and across the rural-urban continuum. Describes local economic conditions that are associated with more FAFH options.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Keenan Marchesi, Anne T. Byrne, Trey Malone
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural US Residents Recognize Anxiety Better than Urbanites and Suburbanites but Hold Similar Stigma
Surveys 627 adults to find whether rural adults are more likely to recognize anxiety symptoms when compared with nonrural adults. Also examines stigma regarding anxiety and compares results between both rural and nonrural adults and level of access to mental health services. Data is broken down by multiple variables including gender, race, age, household income, education, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Scott Loveridge, Mark Skidmore, Robert Shupp, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 860-869
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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COVID-19 Vaccination Rates
Compares COVID-19 vaccination rates across metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore populations in the United States over time through December 7, 2022.
Author(s): Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Income and Rural–Urban Status Moderate the Association Between Income Inequality and Life Expectancy in US Census Tracts
Examines how income inequality and life expectancy (LE) are impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) and rural versus urban status at the census-tract level. Utilizes 2010-2015 data to examine the relationship of LE to SES, urbanicity, and other sociodemographic factors. Presents the data through descriptive statistics, figures, and graphs.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Caitlin C. Nash, Erin N. Byrne, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 42, 24
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Changes in Suicide in California from 2017 to 2021: A Population-Based Study
Examines suicide trends in California in 2020 and 2021 compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic years. Includes suicide mortality data broken down by sex, education, race, age, method, and rural versus urban location. Discusses the burden of suicide trends by specific demographic groups.
Author(s): Julia J. Lund, Elizabeth Tomsich, Julia P. Schleimer, Veronica A. Pear
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 10, 19
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Rural Working-Age Adults Report More Cost Barriers to Health Care
Policy brief examining rural-urban differences in affordability of care and cost-saving strategies among adults ages 18-64. Features demographics and statistics on prescription drug cost-saving measures and difficulty affording medical care in the past year, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Carly Milkowski, Amanda Burgess
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Palliative Care and Healthcare Utilization among Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients in U.S. Hospitals
Examines in-patient palliative care use by hospitalized metastatic breast cancer patients. Analyzes 26,961 female patients from 2010 to 2014 for palliative care use, with patient information further broken down by age, race, income, insurance type, and status of hospital utilized, such as urban teaching, urban nonteaching, or rural.
Author(s): Sun Jung Kim, Isha Patel, Chanhyun Park, Dong Yeong Shin, Jongwha Chang
Citation: Scientific Reports,13, 4358
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Broadband in Kansas: The Challenges of Digital Access and Affordability
Provides an overview of broadband access in Kansas, including adequacy, affordability, digital literacy, and satisfaction. Provides county-level maps depicting data related to broadband access and discusses the rural-urban digital divide.
Author(s): Donna Ginther, Germaine R. Halegoua, Xan Wedel, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Institute for Policy & Social Research
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Train Derailments in Rural and Urban Pennsylvania, 2018 to 2022
Fact sheet analyzing train derailments in Pennsylvania and the U.S. from 2018 to November 30, 2022, using data from the Federal Railroad Administration's Office of Safety Analysis. Features state-level and Pennsylvania county-level maps showing locations and numbers of derailments, and statistics on types, costs, and speeds of derailments, with breakdowns by rural and urban locations.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Indicators of Familial Social Support by Rurality and Gender Identity
Examines the differences in familial social support by rurality and gender identity using data from the 2016-2018 TransPop Study. Discusses the relationship between social and emotional support and health outcomes. Describes the implications of the findings for rural public health and community-based programs.
Author(s): Robert Libal, Carrie Henning-Smith, Mariana Tuttle, Gilbert Gonzales
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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