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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Women

Policies for Reducing Maternal Morbidity and Mortality and Enhancing Equity in Maternal Health: A Review of the Evidence
Examines maternal health in relation to social determinants of health (SDOH), addressing disparities for Black, rural, veteran, and incarcerated mothers. Highlights environmental and healthcare issues, as well as strategies to improve maternal health outcomes through workforce initiatives, data collection, and policy changes.
Author(s): Jodie G. Katon, Daniel A. Enquobahrie, Kate Jacobsen, Laurie Zephyrin
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Health Disparities in Rural Women
Discusses the health disparities that exist for rural women in all categories of women's health, including obstetric and gynecologic outcomes and access to care. Covers programs to improve healthcare services for rural women and recommendations to reduce health disparities.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
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Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant - American Samoa: FY 2022 Application/FY 2020 Annual Report
Highlights American Samoa's maternal and child health programs. Includes topics related to reducing infant mortality, improving oral and behavioral health, improving access, and COVID-19, among others.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant - Virgin Islands: FY 2022 Application/FY 2020 Annual Report
Highlights the Virgin Islands' maternal and child health programs. Includes topics related to reducing infant mortality, improving oral and behavioral health, improving access, and COVID-19, among others.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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The State of the World's Children 2021 - On My Mind: Promoting, Protecting and Caring for Children's Mental Health
Examines child, adolescent, and caregiver mental health, focusing on risks and protective factors at critical moments in the life course. Discusses COVID-19's effect on mental health, and the social determinants that shape mental health and well-being. Features statistics on child mortality rates, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, early childhood development, and education, with breakdowns by countries and territories including Palau, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
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Differences in Breast and Colorectal Cancer Screening Adherence Among Women Residing in Urban and Rural Communities in the United States
Results of a study of 2,897 women from 11 states to compare the prevalence of breast and colorectal cancer screening adherence and to identify factors associated with screening adherence among women living in rural and urban areas. Features demographics and statistics on cancer screening adherence with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Sanjay Shete, Yangyang Deng, Jackilen Shannon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(10)
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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Mapping the Location of Health Centers in Relation to "Maternity Care Deserts": Associations With Utilization of Women's Health Providers and Services
Explores the association between community health centers' (CHC) distance to a maternity care desert (MCD) and use of maternity-related healthcare services. Discusses the effects of rural hospital closures and provider shortages on patients' access to maternity care. Includes a county-level MCD map and county-level and CHC-level statistics related to MCDs.
Author(s): Anne R. Markus, Drishti Pillai
Citation: Medical Care, 59(10), S434-S440
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are Underway but Opportunities Exist to Improve the Federal Response
Report examining the data and jurisdictional challenges of addressing the missing or murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) crisis affecting American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Describes efforts on the part of the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to improve data collection and support tribal governments and law enforcement and offers policy recommendations to improve planning and continue these efforts.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Following Labor and Delivery Unit Closures in Rural New Hampshire, Driving Time to the Nearest Unit Doubled
Examines the impact of the closure of 9 labor and delivery units in rural New Hampshire on the driving time to open units between 2000 and 2018. Explores the association between proximity to an open labor and delivery unit and women's health and socioeconomic characteristics.
Author(s): Stacey McMorrow, Sarah Benatar, Timothy J. Fisher
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Menthol Smoking and Nicotine Dependence among Black/African American Women Smokers Living in Low-Resource, Rural Communities
Reports the results of a study examining associations between menthol smoking with nicotine dependence and quitting behaviors for 146 Black women that smoke who are 18 to 50 years old and living in a low-resource, rural community in 2 Arkansas counties. Includes analysis on socioeconomic deprivation and nicotine dependence for the study population.
Author(s): Dina M. Jones, Margarete C. Kulik, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Sandilyn Bullock, Mignonne C. Guy, Pebbles Fagan
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10877
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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