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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Women

Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2024
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Healthy Eating Behavior for Gestational Diabetes Risk Reduction Among American Indian and Alaska Native Adolescent and Young Adult Females: A Qualitative Exploration
Reports on themes from key informant interviews to understand the connection between food insecurity and gestational diabetes mellitus risk reduction behaviors for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) young adult women. Discusses the cultural habits related to diet and nutrition, influences on food choices, and issues related to data gathering on diet and nutrition for AI/AN communities.
Author(s): Sarah A. Stotz, Luciana E. Hebert, Lisa Scarton, et al.
Citation: Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 56(9), 622-630
Date: 09/2024
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Predictors of a Positive Attitude Towards Rural Practice in Female Osteopathic Medical Students
Results of a study exploring whether rural background, a plan to practice family medicine, and inclination toward civic duty are associated with positive attitudes toward practice of rural medicine among female osteopathic medical students. Uses data from a survey of 97 students at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Author(s): Dana E. Kahl, Kevin M. Roessger
Citation: Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, 124(12), 521-527
Date: 08/2024
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National- and State-Level Estimates of WIC Eligibility and Program Reach in 2022: Final Report, Volume 1
Compares eligibility versus participation in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits in 2022 using Community Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS-ASEC), American Community Survey (ACS), and National Vital Statistics data. Discusses trends over time for infants and pregnant women as well as by breastfeeding status, race and ethnicity, Medicaid participation, and urbanicity. Includes state and regional comparisons.
Additional links: Appendices, Summary
Author(s): Courtenay Kessler, Andrew Bryant, Kate Munkacsy, Kelsey Farson Gray
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Mental Health of Women in Rural Illinois: Insights from the Household Pulse Survey, June-July 2024
Explores the mental health of women in nonmetropolitan Illinois. Utilizes 2024 data from the Household Pulse Survey to examine rate of mental illness in nonmetro Illinois women according to race, education, income and marital status; impacts of role overload; and feelings on loneliness and connectedness.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Examining U.S. Disparities in Smoking among Rural Versus Urban Women of Reproductive Age: 2002–2019
Examines rural and urban trends in cigarette smoking prevalence and first-time quit ratios among adult women aged 18-44, utilizing 2002-2019 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data. Includes data on pregnant and non-pregnant women. Discusses the significance of smoking behaviors and access to cessation support for multigenerational rural health disparities.
Author(s): Stephen T. Higgins, Tyler Erath, Fang-Fang Chen
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 108115
Date: 08/2024
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Examining Rurality and Social Determinants of Health among Women with GDM: A 15-Year Comprehensive Population Analysis
Examines maternal demographic characteristics, including rurality, and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) development over time. Utilizes birth record vital statistics of 589,605 women with live births in Kansas from 2005 to 2019. Compares rural and urban trends in maternal overweight, obesity, and GDM.
Author(s): Umama Ali, Laila Cure, Rhonda K. Lewis, et al.
Citation: BMC Women's Health, 24, 467
Date: 08/2024
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Obstetric Delivery Services and Workforce in Rural Wisconsin Hospitals 2024
Provides information on obstetric delivery services and workforce in rural Wisconsin hospitals. Analyzes the results of a July 2023 survey focused on hospitals with delivery services, levels of obstetric care, provider types, birth volume, and more. Includes Wisconsin maps showing location of rural hospitals and percentage of women of childbearing age by county.
Author(s): Julia Ledger, Mollie Olson, Penny Black
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
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Advocate-BREAST: Advocates and Patients' Advice to Enhance Breast Cancer Care Delivery, Patient Experience and Patient Centered Research by 2025
Examines breast cancer (BC) survivor experiences with BC care delivery, education, and support received. Analyzes 2,437 responses from a 2021 survey of patients in the Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry, with data breakdowns of respective patient perspectives, concerns, and symptoms by sociodemographic variables, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Ciara C. O'Sullivan, Nicole L. Larson, Robert A. Vierkant, et al.
Citation: Archives of Public Health, 82, 119
Date: 08/2024
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Pregnancy-Related Maternal Mortality in the State of Georgia: Timing and Causes of Death
Examines pregnancy-related deaths in Georgia across various sociodemographic characteristics. Analyzes 2016-2019 Georgia Department of Public Health maternal mortality data according to postpartum time period, race/ethnicity, age, education, health condition, and rural versus urban county of residence.
Author(s): Anthony J Kondracki, Wei Li, Manouchehr Mokhtari, et al.
Citation: Women's Health, 20
Date: 07/2024
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