Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Wellness, health promotion, and disease prevention
'No Safe Level of Lead': How Mining Towns Are Reducing the Risk of Lead Exposure – And What Other Rural Communities Can Learn from Them
Highlights efforts in rural Idaho and Kansas to raise awareness of the dangers of lead exposure. Discusses health screenings and follow-up care, as well as outreach activities and educational materials.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Highlights efforts in rural Idaho and Kansas to raise awareness of the dangers of lead exposure. Discusses health screenings and follow-up care, as well as outreach activities and educational materials.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Meeting the Health Needs of Rural America: A Report of the Aspen Health Strategy Group
Presents a model for addressing rural health disparities and encouraging accessible, sustainable healthcare access through community-centered policy, investment, and healthcare delivery. Discusses topics related to health policy, funding, community development, infrastructure, preventive care, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Presents a model for addressing rural health disparities and encouraging accessible, sustainable healthcare access through community-centered policy, investment, and healthcare delivery. Discusses topics related to health policy, funding, community development, infrastructure, preventive care, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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Rural Sleep Health and Sleep Health Disparities among Children and Adults in the United States
Examines sleep health characteristics among rural populations in the United States. Utilizes 2020 and 2022 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze the sleep health of 1,429 children and 8,673 adults residing in nonmetro counties, focusing on demographic variables, socioeconomic variables, and sleep health.
Author(s): Symielle A. Gaston, Christopher W. Payne, William Braxton Jackson, II, Chandra L. Jackson
Citation: Sleep Health, 12(1), 39-51
Date: 02/2026
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Examines sleep health characteristics among rural populations in the United States. Utilizes 2020 and 2022 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze the sleep health of 1,429 children and 8,673 adults residing in nonmetro counties, focusing on demographic variables, socioeconomic variables, and sleep health.
Author(s): Symielle A. Gaston, Christopher W. Payne, William Braxton Jackson, II, Chandra L. Jackson
Citation: Sleep Health, 12(1), 39-51
Date: 02/2026
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From Clinics to Communities: Mobile Health in State Rural Health Transformation Plans
Highlights mobile health models included in state Rural Health Transformation Plan applications. Includes information on the effectiveness of mobile health models in rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Julia Burleson, Leila Sullivan
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy
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Highlights mobile health models included in state Rural Health Transformation Plan applications. Includes information on the effectiveness of mobile health models in rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Julia Burleson, Leila Sullivan
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy
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Merging Law and Medicine: Patient Attitudes About and Experiences with Social Needs Screening and Medical-Legal Partnerships in Primary Care
Analyzes survey results of 502 adults who had visited a primary care provider in 2023 to investigate patient experiences with social needs screening (SNS) and medical-legal partnerships (MLP). Discusses rural patients' comfort with MLPs as an option to address social needs.
Author(s): Jamelia D. Graham, Jennifer L. Kraschnewski, Sophia I. Allen, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17
Date: 02/2026
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Analyzes survey results of 502 adults who had visited a primary care provider in 2023 to investigate patient experiences with social needs screening (SNS) and medical-legal partnerships (MLP). Discusses rural patients' comfort with MLPs as an option to address social needs.
Author(s): Jamelia D. Graham, Jennifer L. Kraschnewski, Sophia I. Allen, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 17
Date: 02/2026
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A Multi-Level Intervention to Address Childhood Obesity in Rural Hispanic Communities
Provides results from the Together We STRIDE study, a multi-level, community-based pediatric obesity intervention for Hispanic elementary school students and their families in Washington State's Yakima County.
Author(s): Linda K. Ko, Eileen Rillamas-Sun, Mario Kratz, et al.
Citation: Obesity Science and Practice, 12(1), e70116
Date: 01/2026
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Provides results from the Together We STRIDE study, a multi-level, community-based pediatric obesity intervention for Hispanic elementary school students and their families in Washington State's Yakima County.
Author(s): Linda K. Ko, Eileen Rillamas-Sun, Mario Kratz, et al.
Citation: Obesity Science and Practice, 12(1), e70116
Date: 01/2026
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Integrating Substance Use Disorder Prevention with Physical Health Care: Progress in States
Discusses how states can integrate substance use disorder (SUD) prevention with physical healthcare, including examples of integration activities that are applicable to rural settings. Highlights opportunities for behavioral health integration aimed at serving adolescents aged 12-18. Includes a rural case study example of a school-based health center SUD prevention program in Oregon.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Discusses how states can integrate substance use disorder (SUD) prevention with physical healthcare, including examples of integration activities that are applicable to rural settings. Highlights opportunities for behavioral health integration aimed at serving adolescents aged 12-18. Includes a rural case study example of a school-based health center SUD prevention program in Oregon.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Chain Reaction: Homegrown Programs Encourage Safe Biking in Rural Areas
Discusses the challenges rural areas may face in taking advantage of the health and other benefits of biking. Features a coalition that sponsors bike safety events in rural California, an Ohio library program for checking out bicycles, and bicycle advocacy work in rural Wisconsin.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the challenges rural areas may face in taking advantage of the health and other benefits of biking. Features a coalition that sponsors bike safety events in rural California, an Ohio library program for checking out bicycles, and bicycle advocacy work in rural Wisconsin.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Mobile Telemedicine for Treating Chronic Hepatitis C among Rural People Who Inject Drugs: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Explores the efficacy of a mobile telemedicine-based intervention for hepatitis C (HCV) infections among rural people who inject drugs. Highlights the outcomes of the intervention in terms of treatment initiation, viral clearance, and reduced equipment sharing. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, outcomes, and risks and probabilities, among other measures.
Author(s): Peter D. Friedmann, Donna Wilson, David de Gijsel, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2555125
Date: 01/2026
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Explores the efficacy of a mobile telemedicine-based intervention for hepatitis C (HCV) infections among rural people who inject drugs. Highlights the outcomes of the intervention in terms of treatment initiation, viral clearance, and reduced equipment sharing. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, outcomes, and risks and probabilities, among other measures.
Author(s): Peter D. Friedmann, Donna Wilson, David de Gijsel, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2555125
Date: 01/2026
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Use of Preventive Services by Rurality, Disability Status, and Health Insurance
Examines rates of use of routine physicals and flu vaccination by rural or urban location, disability status, and health insurance type. Uses data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.
Author(s): Alexis Swendener, Katie Rydberg, Lisa I. Iezzoni, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Examines rates of use of routine physicals and flu vaccination by rural or urban location, disability status, and health insurance type. Uses data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.
Author(s): Alexis Swendener, Katie Rydberg, Lisa I. Iezzoni, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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