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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention

The Evolution, Expansion, and Effectiveness of Community Health Workers
Reviews the development of Community Health Worker roles, accomplishments, and future contributions in rural and urban settings. Discusses the education and training of CHWs, and includes a detailed table of their activities in promoting prevention and well-being.
Author(s): Randall R. Bovbjerg, Lauren Eyster, Barbara A. Ormond, Theresa Anderson, Elizabeth Richardson
Date: 12/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Promising Approaches to Integrating Community Health Workers into Health Systems: Four Case Studies
Identifies the scope of practice, supervision, financing, and the workforce standards implemented by states and employers in the development of community health worker (CHW) programs. Four case studies that include rural counties illustrate the challenges and opportunities for integrating CHWs into health systems.
Author(s): Lauren Eyster, Randall R. Bovbjerg
Date: 12/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Testing to Prevent Colon Cancer: Results from a Rural Community Intervention
Examines the use of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to learn about how vulnerable individuals, with public or no insurance and low-incomes, in rural North Carolina value different aspects of colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings. Includes statistics on DCE participants, such as race/ethnicity, education, income, employment, insurance, assistance needed with written materials, and agreement on CRC screening attributes.
Author(s): John M. Westfall, Linda Zittleman, Christin Sutter, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 11(6), 500-507
Date: 11/2013
Type: Document
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Addressing Rural Health Disparities Through Policy Change in the Stroke Belt
Examines the feasibility and acceptability of 24 Common Community Measures for Obesity Prevention (COCOMO) strategies based on local culture, infrastructure, funding, and community support by surveying and interviewing residents from rural Lenoir County, North Carolina.
Author(s): Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, Tosha W. Smith, Linden Maya Thayer, et al.
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 19(6), 503-510
Date: 11/2013
Type: Document
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Local Wellness Policy 5 Years Later: Is It Making a Difference for Students in Low-Income, Rural Colorado Elementary Schools?
Assesses 45 schools' environmental and policy changes resulting from implementation of a federally mandated program designed to increase physical activity and healthy eating, as a response to the childhood obesity epidemic. Looked at factors including number of minutes of recess per week, minutes of physical education, playground features, total number of fruit and vegetable offerings at meals, presence of a school health team, and familiarity with their district's policy and related state or federal mandates.
Author(s): Elaine S. Belansky, Nick Cutforth, Lynn Gilbert, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 10
Date: 11/2013
Type: Document
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From Kids, Through Kids, To Kids: Examining the Social Influence Strategies Used by Adolescents to Promote Prevention among Peers
Examines messages adolescents believe are most effective in persuading their peers to resist substance use through an analysis of messages created by students from 20 rural middle schools. Gathers data on the audience-generated intervention messages to determine if they are similar to campaign philosophy and branding.
Author(s): Janice L. Krieger, Samantha Coveleski, Michael L. Hecht, et al.
Citation: Health Communication, 28(7), 683-695
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
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Comparing the Effects of Teen Mentors to Adult Teachers on Child Lifestyle Behaviors and Health Outcomes in Appalachia
Explores a study of a school-based intervention that mentors young children to reverse obesity health risks in rural Appalachia. Compares two curriculum delivery methods, one using teen mentors and the other adult teachers. Assesses the effects of the number of mentoring sessions attended on the intended outcomes.
Author(s): Laureen H. Smith, Christopher Holloman
Citation: Journal of School Nursing, 29(5), 386-396
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
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Identification of Barriers to the Prevention and Treatment of Heat-Related Illness in Latino Farmworkers Using Activity-Oriented, Participatory Rural Appraisal Focus Group Methods
Examines the barriers to prevent and provide treatment for heat-related illness (HRI) for Latino farmworkers in Central Washington State. Research was conducted through interviews, and by examining transcripts, field notes and investigator triangulation.
Author(s): Michelle Lam, Jennifer Krenz, Pablo Palmández, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 3,1004
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
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Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Among American Indian Men Aged 50 or Older, Kansas and Missouri, 2006-2008
Results from five focus groups designed to raise awareness, promote discourse, identify barriers, and develop culturally relevant education strategies related to screening and early detection.
Author(s): Aimee S. James, Melissa K. Filippi,Christina M. Pacheco, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 10
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
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Prevention and Health Promotion among Vulnerable Populations on the U.S.-México Border: Synthesis Report
Summarizes the findings from six regional United States–Mexico Border Health Commission stakeholder planning meetings organized by the New Mexico Department of Health Office of Border Health and the California Department of Public Health Office of Binational Border Health. The objective of these meetings was to collect information from agencies and organizations that provide health and human services, and/or advocate for improving access to these services for at risk populations on the U.S. side of the U.S.–Mexico border region.
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United States-México Border Health Commission
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