Rural Health Disparities – Resources

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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Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan 2021–2025
Planning document presenting goals to address health disparities through scientific research, activities that sustain research, and outreach efforts. Describes health disparity populations, including racial and ethnic minority, rural, less privileged socioeconomic status (SES), and sexual and gender minorities (SGM) populations. Outlines plans to implement research projects and activities, and discusses Leap Forward priority areas that will advance research methods in minority health and health disparities.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health
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Rural-Urban Disparities in All-cause Mortality among Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries, 2004–17
Examines the change in all-cause mortality rates among low-income Medicare beneficiaries dually-enrolled in Medicaid between 2004 and 2017. Compares rates between rural and urban beneficiaries by age, ethnicity, insurance type, and census region.
Author(s): Emefah Loccoh, Karen E. Joynt Maddox, Jiaman Xu, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 40(2), 289-296
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
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The Intersection of Rural Residence and Minority Race/Ethnicity in Cancer Disparities in the United States
Examines differences in cancer rates and outcomes according to individuals' rural residence and race/ethnicity. Discusses the role racism and social determinants of health play in cancer disparities. Includes cancer incidence and mortality rates by racial/ethnic groups and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Cathryn Murphy, Marie Knoll, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1384
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
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Rural Community Engagement for Health Disparities Research: The Unique Role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
Explores the potential of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBUs) to help reduce health disparities in rural communities of color. Highlights the Research with Care project, a collaboration between the North Carolina Central University and rural Halifax County, N.C. and discusses the expounding health disparities faced by people of color in rural areas, including COVID-19.
Author(s): Lorraine C. Taylor, Charity S. Watkins, Hannah Chesterton, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 64
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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