This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health

The Role of Public Health in COVID-19 Emergency Response Efforts From a Rural Health Perspective
Examines the difficulties rural communities face in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the southeastern region of the U.S. Discusses the COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index, a tool that analyzes epidemiological factors, socioeconomic status, and other indicators to determine which communities are at an increased risk of COVID-19.
Author(s): Sandra Melvin, Corey Wiggins, Nakeitra Burse, Erica Thompson, Mauda Monger
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 07/2020
view details
Rural Matters - Coronavirus and the Navajo Nation
Presents a first-hand account of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Navajo Nation. Discusses the social and environmental factors that contribute to the spread of the virus.
Author(s): Heather Kovich
Citation: New England Journal of Medicine, 383, 105-107
Date: 07/2020
view details
Left Out: Barriers to Health Equity for Rural and Underserved Communities
Summarizes responses to a Request for Information from the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee's Rural and Underserved Communities Health Task Force. Describes factors contributing to healthcare challenges in rural areas, including demographics, social and structural determinants of health, insurance coverage, access to care, and workforce shortages. Highlights promising models of healthcare delivery in rural areas. Includes state-by-state health equity maps.
Additional links: State and Territory Health Equity Maps, Summary
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
view details
Sociodemographic Determinants of Acute Myocardial Infarction Hospitalization Risks in Florida
Identifies sociodemographic determinants of myocardial infarction (MI) hospitalization risks and assesses whether the impacts of these determinants vary by geographic location. Features statistics with breakdown by rural location and county-level maps showing the spacial distribution of MI hospitalization risks in Florida from 2005-2014.
Author(s): Evah Wangui Odoi, Nicholas Nagle, Russell Zaretzki, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(11)
Date: 06/2020
view details
Population Health in Rural America in 2020 - A Virtual Workshop
Recording of a 2-day workshop on rural population health. Features presentations by experts in the field, with discussion on rural demographics and social determinants of health; health disparities; public health, healthcare, and community efforts to improve health outcomes in rural America; health policy; and more. Presentation slides and workshop agenda are available to download.
Author(s): Roundtable on Population Health Improvement
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Social Determinants of Health and County Population Rates of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits, 2016
Examines characteristics of U.S. counties, comparing counties with high and low rates of opioid-related inpatient stays and treat-and-release emergency department (ED) visits among patients 15 years and older. Includes data for metro, rural adjacent to metro, and rural remote counties, as well as by urban-rural location and poverty rate.
Author(s): Pamela L. Owens, Audrey J. Weiss, Marguerite L. Barrett, Lawrence D. Reid
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Spatial Disparities in Coronavirus Incidence and Mortality in the United States: An Ecological Analysis as of May 2020
Explores the spread of COVID-19 across the U.S. Details the virus's relation to different levels of socioeconomic status by mapping the spatial patterns of its spread through both rural and urban communities. Aims to inform first responders and policy makers.
Author(s): Charlie H. Zhang, Gary G. Schwartz
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 36(3), 433-445
Date: 06/2020
view details
Community Susceptibility and Resiliency to COVID‐19 Across the Rural‐Urban Continuum in the United States
Presents a county-level susceptibility scale for COVID-19. Highlights 7 susceptibility factors related to health and socioeconomic resiliency and discusses the different concerns of rural and urban communities.
Additional links: COVID-19 Susceptibility Map
Author(s): David J. Peters
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 36(3), 446-456
Date: 06/2020
view details
A Decade Undone: Youth Disconnection in the Age of Coronavirus
Features a report on young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are neither in school or working. Full report details demographic information such as race and ethnicity, sex, and living arrangements. Also compares disconnection among rural and urban youth.
Additional links: Conclusions and Recommendations, Full Report, Interactive Tool
Author(s): Kristen Lewis
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Measure of America
view details
HIV Prevention and Treatment Challenges in Rural America
Provides an overview of the prevalence of HIV and access to HIV prevention and treatment services in rural communities. Discusses challenges to providing and accessing HIV prevention and treatment efforts in rural areas, including the lack of local healthcare services, the cost of care, and HIV-related stigma. Describes federal programs that support HIV prevention and treatment services in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to address these barriers and to reduce rural HIV disparities.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
view details