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Rural Health Information Hub

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

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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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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2026 Heart Disease & Stroke Statistical Update Fact Sheet: American Indian/Alaska Natives & Cardiovascular Diseases
Reports statistics on cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure among American Indians and Alaska Natives. Includes data on smoking, physical inactivity, and diabetes.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: American Heart Association
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New Directions from the COMPASS Study: A Qualitative Review of Participation and Communication in Rural Kidney Health Research
Discusses the impact of the Community Based Study of the Epidemiology of Chronic Kidney Disease in Cuba New Mexico and Surrounding Areas (COMPASS) research study on 33 participating adults in rural New Mexico. Discusses topics related to study participation, health literacy, and research dissemination, including participants' lifestyle changes, understanding of kidney-related health issues, challenges, and suggestions.
Author(s): Heidi Rishel Brakey, Maria-Eleni Roumelioti, Jesus E. Fuentes, et al.
Citation: BMC Nephrology, 27, 136
Date: 01/2026
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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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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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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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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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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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Exploring the Use of Telemedicine to Expand Addiction and Recovery Resources in Great Plains Tribal Communities
Explores the use of telemedicine to provide medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) to patients in tribal communities. Explores the barriers and facilitators to implementing telemedicine-based MOUD services across the Great Plains Area of the Indian Health Service.
Author(s): Michael C. Harding, Anna C. Kihlstrom, Allison Kelliher, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70113
Date: 01/2026
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