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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Transportation

Resources on Rides for Employment for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
Describes differences in transportation accessibility for older adults and people with disabilities based on resources available in particular communities. Provides resources and example programs focused on improving transportation options in rural areas.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
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Impacts of Transit on Health in Rural and Small Urban Areas
Overview of how public transportation affects health in rural and small urban areas. Summarizes findings from a literature review that looked at public transportation as it relates to the social determinants of health, healthcare access, physical activity, social isolation, and mental health. Also reports results from a survey of rural older adults supplemented by data analysis looking at travel for healthcare, challenges related to public transportation, and the impacts of missed or delayed healthcare trips.
Author(s): Jeremy Mattson, Bright Quayson
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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The Association Between Tribal Transit And Food Insecurity Status among Native Americans in North Dakota
Examines the relationship between food insecurity in rural tribal areas and transportation access. Analyzes 2022 survey data from Native American respondents in North Dakota and reports on respondent demographics, traditional indigenous food pathways, factors leading to food insecurity, disability and health status, availability of transportation, and more. Provides information on Native American reservations and populations as well as strategies to reduce food insecurity.
Author(s): J. Hough, J. Mattson, H. Al Qublan, B. Rahman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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Support for Healthy Eating and Active Living in Rural Communities: Insights from a National Survey of Local Governments
Analyzes local government policies that support wellness, healthy eating, and physical activity in metro versus nonmetro areas. Utilizes Community Based Survey of Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL) data to compare government structures, master plans, built environment policies, transit options, supportive food access policies, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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An Examination of Geographic Access to Outpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Services in Tennessee, a Stroke Belt State
Presents data on travel time and distance to Tennessee stroke rehabilitation facilities, with comparisons of rural and urban counties as well as counties with low, medium, or high stroke prevalence. Describes care access challenges faced by rural stroke patients, including barriers related to transportation and telerehabilitation.
Author(s): Phoebe M. Tran, Cenjing Zhu, William T. Harris II, et al.
Citation: Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases, 33(1), 107472
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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Helping Older Adults Age Well in Rural America
Provides an overview of strategies that mitigate challenges related to aging in rural communities. Provides data on healthcare access in rural areas and presents successful models that focus on transportation, social services, and alternative care models, such as paramedicine and hybrid care.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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A Catchment and Location-Allocation Analysis of Mammography Access in Delaware, US: Implications for Disparities in Geographic Access to Breast Cancer Screening
Examines breast cancer disparities and screening access in representative urban and rural counties in Delaware. Analyzes demographic makeup of population, availability of transportation, and sites for mammography and breast imaging. Includes maps of screening locations and travel times to available facility as well as recommendations for additional facilities in areas with geographic or racial screening disparities.
Author(s): Jessica L. Webster, Neal D. Goldstein, Jennifer P. Rowland, Catherine M. Tuite, Scott D. Siegel
Citation: Breast Cancer Research, 25, 137
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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2023 Survey of Rural Families and Summer Meal Service
Provides feedback from rural families regarding their use of summer meal services based on accessibility, transportation options, and location of meal site. Includes survey data focused on food access, grocery costs, congregate or non-congregate meal preference, factors related to meal pickup preferences, and travel concerns.
Additional links: Microreport, Slides
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Travel for Medical or Dental Care by Race/Ethnicity and Rurality in the U.S.: Findings from the 2001, 2009 and 2017 National Household Travel Surveys
Analyzes National Household Travel Surveys from 2001, 2009, and 2017 to determine trends in average travel distance and travel burden between rural and urban residents seeking medical or dental care. Includes analysis of race and ethnicity as well as comparisons between travel for medical or dental care and employment.
Author(s): Marvellous Akinlotan, Nima Khodakarami, Kristin Primm, Jane Bolin, Alva O. Ferdinand
Citation: Preventative Medicine Reports, 35, 102297
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Access to Intercity Transportation in Rural Areas
Provides information and an interactive map that shows the percentage of rural residents who have access to commercial air, intercity bus, or intercity rail transportation. Includes county-level data for the years 2006, 2012, 2018, and 2021. Depicts state-level transportation access data as well as demographic characteristics of rural areas.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
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