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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

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
Type: Document
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High COVID-19 Mortality Risk in Pennsylvania's Rural Counties
Discusses the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization or death in Pennsylvania rural counties, due to high prevalence rates of chronic disease and percentage of populations age 65 or older. Features a map showing variation in chronic health comorbidities in Pennsylvania counties.
Additional links: Interactive Map
Author(s): Raeven Faye Chandler, Shannon M. Monnat, Yue Sun
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
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Medicare Beneficiary Use of Telehealth Visits: Early Data from the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines changes in Medicare in-person primary care visits and the use of telehealth services at the start of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses how Medicare telehealth flexibilities implemented in response to COVID-19 impacted access to these services. Compares the percentage of primary care telehealth visits between rural and urban providers. Includes a county-level map displaying the percentage of primary care visits conducted via telehealth services in April 2020.
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Health Care Access for Infants and Toddlers in Rural Areas
Research brief describing how rural children are more likely to face a unique combination of challenges that negatively impact their health and development, such as fewer healthcare providers, barriers to accessing care, and higher rates of poverty. Includes rural/urban comparisons for each state, with information on the percentage of infants and toddlers lacking health insurance, receiving recommended vaccinations, attending a preventive medical appointment, and more.
Author(s): Jessie Laurore, Gayane Baziyants, Sarah Daily
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Child Trends
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Geographic Variation in the Structure of Kentucky's Population Health Systems: An Urban, Rural, and Appalachian Comparison
Examines differences in key characteristics of population health systems in Kentucky, using data from a 2018 statewide survey of community networks. Features statistics on implementation of population health activities, with breakdowns by urban, rural non-Appalachian, and rural Appalachian public health jurisdictions.
Author(s): Rachel Hogg-Graham, Angela Carman, Glen P. Mays, Pierre Martin Dominique Zephyr
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 2(3), 14-25
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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The Growing Divide in the Composition of Public Health Delivery Systems in US Rural and Urban Communities, 2014–2018
Analyzes data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Public Health Systems to examine rural-urban differences in the scope of public health delivery system activities and organizational networks from 2014-2018. Provides geographic breakdowns on various characteristics, including poverty, unemployment, trends for public health activities, and more.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Mika K. Hamer, Glen P. Mays
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(Suppl 2), S204-S210
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
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Estimated County-Level Prevalence of Selected Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Increased Risk for Severe COVID-19 Illness — United States, 2018
Reports on the estimated number and proportion of people with certain underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for severe COVID-19. Provides county-level maps with data on adults with any of these conditions: chronic respiratory conditions, heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or obesity. Also discusses the prevalence of underlying conditions in rural counties.
Author(s): Hilda Razzaghi, Yan Wang, Hua Lu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(29), 945-950
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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American Communities Experience Deaths of Despair at Uneven Rates
Analyzes nationally representative data from 2014-2018 on deaths of despair (DoD), or deaths resulting from substance use or suicide. Includes county-level statistics on DoD, with information broken down by rurality and race/ethnicity.
Author(s): Dante Chinni
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Communities Project
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Increasing Rates of Nonmetro Net Migration Offset by Reductions in Natural Change
Line chart showing nonmetro net migration, natural change due to births and deaths, and total population change from 1976 through 2019.
Date: 07/2020
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Changes in Care-Seeking after Rural Hospitals Merge
Describes changes to inpatient services in 15 rural hospitals in the 15 months before and after the hospitals' merger with another hospital or health system from 2014-2016. Features statistics on changes in visit type and percent bypass by diagnostic category and discharge date relative to merger.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Randy Randolph, George Pink, Mark Holmes
Date: 07/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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