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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health Disparities – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Health Disparities.

QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged ≥18 Years With Fair or Poor Health, by Urbanization Level and Age Group — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019
Bar chart showing adults reporting fair or poor health in metropolitan compared to nonmetro areas, overall and for ages 18-39, 40-64, and 65 or older.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(30), 1048
Date: 07/2021
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rural Communities at Risk: Widening Health Disparities Present New Challenges in Aftermath of Pandemic
Describes the health status, health disparities, and socioeconomic disparities of vulnerable rural communities. Analyzes the relationship between rural community vulnerability and the stability of the rural health safety net. Includes information on racial health disparities within rural communities.
Date: 07/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Chartis Group
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Urban–Rural Mortality Disparities from Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases in the United States, 1999–2019
Letter to the editor presenting data on chronic lower respiratory disease mortality between 1999 and 2019, including a population breakdown by 6 levels of metro and nonmetro status, using the CDC WONDER database. Discusses rural disparities in mortality and charts mortality trends over time.
Author(s): Paul A. Reyfman, Basil Khuder, Jacob B. Pierce, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 203(11), 1435-1437
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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An Overview of the National Cancer Institute's Rural Cancer Control Initiatives
Webinar recording discusses research into rural cancer control. Explores how rural and tribal health disparities can impact cancer rates. Features presenters from the National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences.
Additional links: PowerPoint Handout
Date: 06/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Spatial and Temporal Inequalities in Mortality in the USA, 1968-2016
Examines excess mortality at the county level using Poisson regression models adjusted for poverty, race, education, population change, and deindustrialization, including rural-urban comparisons. Offers spatial maps and population-weighted cartograms.
Author(s): Welcome Wami, David Walsh, Benjamin D. Hennig, et al.
Citation: Health Place, 70, 102586
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
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Disparities in Meeting USPSTF Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Women in the United States
Results of a study to determine which sociodemographic characteristics were associated with women meeting US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural locations.
Author(s): Gabriel A. Benavidez, Anja Zgodic, Whitney E. Zahnd, Jan M. Eberth
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 18
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
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Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: Additional Efforts Needed to Assess Program Data for Rural and Underserved Areas
Provides an overview of maternal health disparities in rural and underserved areas, as well as health system, socioeconomic, and patient factors that can contribute to maternal health outcomes. Includes information on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs implemented to reduced maternal morbidity and severe maternal mortality. Describes how CDC and HRSA use the data they collect and offers recommendations to improve the utilization of this data and coordination across federal agencies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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HIV and Hepatitis C in Rural Areas: Prevalence, Service Availability, and Challenges
Webinar recording discusses the prevalence of HIV and maternal hepatitis C in rural communities. Compares infection rates in rural versus urban areas and highlights changes over time. Makes recommendations regarding testing, treatment, and harm reduction services.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Video Recording, Webinar Transcript
Date: 04/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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State Health Disparities Research in Rural America: Gaps and Future Directions in an Era of COVID-19
Discusses research methods and partnerships to address rural health disparities. Highlights recommendations from a national workshop on rural health disparities, including community participation in rural health research, innovative research design, interventions that are relevant to rural challenges, and cultural competence in rural research.
Author(s): Lisa Cacari Stone, Mary C. Roary, Augusto Diana, Patricia A. Grady
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(3), 460-466
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Disparities: Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease, and Stroke Mortality Among Black and White Adults, 1999–2018
Article examining racial disparities in diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke mortality, comparing Black and White populations and breaking down data by rural and urban location using CDC Wonder 1999-2018 data. Discusses trends in racial disparities in urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Rahul Aggarwal, Nicholas Chiu, Emefah C. Loccoh, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 77(11), 1480-1481
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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Last Updated: 6/3/2024