Rural Obesity and Weight Control – Resources

Listening to the Community: Identifying Obesity Prevention Strategies for Rural Preschool-Aged Children
Reports results from 4 workshops on obesity prevention initiatives for preschool-aged children in 2 rural North Carolina and Indiana counties. Provides data and discussion on participants' preferred intervention strategies and community settings, with additional discussion of implementation challenges and options for immediate interventions which could be implemented with limited funding.
Author(s): Katherine Jochim Pope, Alexandra F. Lightfoot, Lisa Macon Harrison, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Using a Customer Discovery Process to Enhance the Potential Dissemination and Scalability of a Family Healthy Weight Program for Rural Communities and Small Towns
Reports on factors influencing rural adoption of the Building Healthy Families Online Training Resources and Program Package, a family-based healthy weight program. Utilizes data from interviews with 47 individuals representing potential users, payers, and adoption influencers, including health departments, clinical healthcare providers, and community organizations. Includes discussion of organizational priorities, implementation challenges in clinical and community settings, and more.
Author(s): Gwenndolyn C. Porter, Jennie L. Hill, Kate A. Heelan, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21, 57
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Produce Prescription Programs Offer 'A Holistic Approach' to Addressing Rural Food Insecurity and Diet-Related Disease
Features produce prescription programs serving rural Mississippi, New Mexico, and Vermont that are helping improve access to healthy foods for those with diet-related chronic conditions. Describes how produce Rx programs can support local food systems and discusses funding and sustainability considerations.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Pharmaceuticalization of Obesity: Empirical Analysis of Metro and Nonmetro Populations, Cognitions and Behavior
Examines perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions related to obesity medications in metro and nonmetro areas. Utilizes 2023 data from Kaiser Family Foundation's Health Tracking Poll to analyze weight loss drug prescriptions across demographic groups.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Geographic Differences in the Magnitude of Black-White Disparities in Having Obesity
Compares the magnitude of Black-White obesity disparities in rural and urban areas with U.S. regional comparisons, utilizing data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Assesses rural-urban status by county-level Index of Relative Rurality quintile.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Monique J. Brown, Furong Xu, Caitlin C. Nash, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Obesity Science & Practice, 9(5), 516-528
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Rural–Urban Differences in Overweight and Obesity, Physical Activity, and Food Security Among Children and Adolescents
Examines the relationship among food security, physical activity, and overweight or obesity in rural and urban children. Analyzes 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health data of children aged 10-17 according to body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and food security, with data broken down by demographic variables and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Demetrius A. Abshire, Michael D. Wirth, Peiyin Hung, Gabriel A. Benavidez
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 20
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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The State of Obesity: Creating Pathways to a Healthier America Livestream Event
A recorded livestream event that focuses on The State of Obesity 2023: Better Policies for a Healthier America report. Discusses federal policy and strategy to address nutrition and wellness, diet-related disease, and obesity prevention programs. Includes information specific to rural areas. Transcript available under video description.
Author(s): Will McIntee, James "Jim" Jones, Caree Cotwright, et al.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Adult Obesity in Rural America: An Examination of the Relationships Between Obesity Prevalence, Sociodemographic Factors, Access to Care, and Differences Between Rural and Urban Counties
Provides an overview of obesity prevalence in rural versus urban counties. Analyzes factors related to obesity such as education, income, physical inactivity, healthcare workforce, and food, internet, and healthcare access. Includes case studies and data related to obesity prevalence in Texas and Arkansas.
Additional links: Appendix, Executive Summary
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Racial Disparities in Obesity‐Related Cardiovascular Mortality in the United States: Temporal Trends From 1999 to 2020
Examines disparities in obesity-related cardiovascular mortality in U.S. citizens from 1999 to 2020. Utilizes the Multiple Cause of Death database to analyze mortality trends by race, sex, age, and rural versus urban residence.
Author(s): Zahra Raisi‐Estabragh, Ofer Kobo, Jennifer H. Mieres, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 12(18)
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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COVID-19 Working Paper: Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Adult Subpopulations During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Explores obesity disparities among adults before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the first year of the pandemic. Uses data from the 2011-2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to estimate changes in obesity rates and compares rates across demographic and socioeconomic subgroups, including urban-rural status, Census region, age group, race and ethnicity, and more.
Author(s): Mariah D. Ehmke, Brandon J. Restrepo
Date: 07/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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