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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Social determinants of health

Practicing Medicine in Rural America: Listening to Primary Care Physicians
Reports on focus group research and interviews with primary care physicians regarding the challenges of serving rural, low-income patients. Highlights issues related to poverty, healthy food access, mental health, substance abuse, specialty care access, and transportation. Third post in the series "Listening to Primary Care Physicians for Low-Income Patients."
Author(s): Shanoor Seervai
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Rural Health Network Thrives on Innovation in Whole-Person Care
Profiles a rural health network in Missouri that includes social service support at four of their clinics. Offers an overview of how the program began, highlights their innovative approaches to addressing community needs, and discusses network sustainability.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Strengthening Healthcare Along the Gulf Coast: The Gulf Region Health Outreach Program's Primary Care Capacity Project
Reports on the Primary Care Capacity Project, which expanded primary care access to Gulf Coast counties through community health centers as part of the Deepwater Horizon settlement. Addresses initiatives targeting expanded access for rural areas, a pilot Community-Centered Health Home (CCHH) model intended to address social determinants of health through community collaborations, and more.
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Public Health Institute
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Developing the Tribal Resource Guide and the Poverty and Culture Training: The We RISE (Raising Income, Supporting Education) Study
Details a study examining the social determinants of health for American Indians (AIs) in rural South Dakota. Collects data and resources with the aim of producing a resource guide for young AI mothers, as well as provide training for community programs that serve AI communities.
Author(s): Rae O'Leary, Lacey A. McCormack, Corrine Huber, et al.
Citation: American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research, 26(2), 134-150
Date: 2019
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Actions Toward Equity: Strategies Communities Are Using to Ensure Everyone Has a Fair and Just Opportunity for Health
Highlights community strategies to improve social and economic conditions and promote health equity. Focuses on the strategies used by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize-winning communities from 2013-2017. Includes examples from tribal and rural communities.
Author(s): Carrie Carroll, Olivia Little, Devarati Syam, Julie Willems Van Dijk
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
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Georgia House of Representatives Study Committee on Maternal Mortality
Provides an overview of issues related to maternal health, prenatal care, and postnatal care in Georgia. Compares mortality rates for rural and urban Georgia women, and discusses shortages of prenatal care, obstetric services, and postpartum care in rural Georgia communities. Features statistics on leading causes of pregnancy-related death in Georgia, percentage of these deaths determined to be preventable, and timing of deaths in relation to pregnancy.
Author(s): Sharon Cooper, Mark Newton, Chuck Efstration, et al.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: Georgia House of Representatives Budget & Research Office
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Opioid Epidemic in the United States: Empirical Trends, and A Literature Review of Social Determinants and Epidemiological, Pain Management, and Treatment Patterns
Analyzes trends in U.S. drug overdose mortality by key social determinants. Reports findings from a selective review of the literature on how the opioid crisis is impacting different segments of the population, including rural residents.
Author(s): Gopal K. Singh, Isaac E. Kim, Mehrete Girmay, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Maternal and Child Health and AIDS, 8(2), 89-100
Date: 2019
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Fostering Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development in Children and Youth
Report highlights research on mental, emotional, and behavioral development in children and youth. Describes the different challenges for cognitive development in both urban and rural areas and explores the necessary structures that facilitate regular development. Available for free download with login.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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The Relationship Between Rural Setting and Health: Factors that Influence Individuals With or at Risk of CVD - A Summary of the Literature
Describes current literature on rural challenges and opportunities, including cardiovascular risk due to obesity, lack of access to healthcare, workforce shortages, importance of paramedics and community health workers, telehealth and broadband, and impact of the substance use disorder epidemic. Intended to help stakeholders understand the causes of health disparities and to support action to improve the health of rural communities.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: American Heart Association
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2018 National Survey of Health Attitudes: Description and Top-Line Summary Data
Results of a survey designed to provide insight into how people in the U.S. think about, value, and prioritize health and issues of health equity. Appendix A shows survey results comparing populations by city size, with breakdowns by rural areas, small towns, midsized cities, and large cities, and Appendix B features statistics comparing urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Appendix A: Survey Results Comparing Populations by City Size, Appendix B: Survey Results Comparing Urban and Rural Populations
Author(s): Katherine Grace Carman, Anita Chandra, Sarah Weilant, Carolyn Miller, Margaret Tait
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organizations: RAND Corporation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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