Rural Health Disparities – Resources

Healthy Places for Children: The Critical Role of Engagement, Common Vision, and Collaboration
Explores the role of child-friendly zoning in creating positive outcomes for rural and suburban children. Discusses the role of child-friendly zoning codes and services in addressing social determinants of health and public health outcomes. Breaks down the various aspects to be considered in creating child-friendly zoning codes and outlines child-focused services.
Author(s): Mildred E. Warner, Xue Zhang
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9277
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
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Healthy Women, Healthy Pregnancies, Healthy Futures: Action Plan to Improve Maternal Health in America
Action plan outlining steps the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is taking to reduce maternal mortality and address disparities that endanger women before, during, and following pregnancy. Four main goals include: improving prevention and treatment services to promote positive health outcomes for every woman of reproductive age; prioritizing quality improvement efforts to support healthy pregnancies and births; improving postpartum health; and enhancing data and research to inform future interventions. Includes data and statistics on maternal health and morbidity, and addresses rural considerations throughout.
Author(s): Dawn Alley, Andre Chappel, Nancy De Lew, et al.
Date: 12/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Infant Mortality in Rural and Nonrural Counties in the United States
Examines infant mortality at the county level and across the rural-urban continuum of the U.S. Utilizes infant death records from 2014 to 2016 to analyze infant mortality by rural-urban classification, county-level demographics, and individual-level demographics and healthcare characteristics.
Author(s): Deborah B. Ehrenthal, Hsiang-Hui Daphne Kuo, Russell S. Kirby
Citation: Pediatrics, 146(5)
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
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Synergistic Disparities and Public Health Mitigation of COVID-19 in the Rural United States
Describes how public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic emphasize racial, economic, and geographic disparities, especially among rural and poor populations. Covers public health mitigation measures, including disease surveillance, physical distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene, and public health communication. Discusses the ethical demands of public health practice during and following a public health emergency.
Author(s): Kata Chillag, Lisa Lee
Citation: Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 17(4), 649-656
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Ethnic/Racial Disparities: Social and Systemic Inequities
Highlights the racial and ethnic disparities related to the social determinants of health. Breaks down rates of poverty, broadband access, education, and insurance, among other measures, of Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Asian American and Pacific Islander populations in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Per Ostmo
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Ethnic/Racial Disparities: Adverse Health Outcomes
Explores racial and ethnic disparities in rural health outcomes. Breaks down rates of premature mortality and disability status of Black, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Asian American and Pacific Islander populations in rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Per Ostmo
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Mortality in Rural Areas: Insights from National Research and Community-Based Initiatives
Webinar recording discusses mortality rates in rural and urban areas, as well as the causes of rural mortality. Features presentations from representatives of the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Center for Health Statistics, and the Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug & Alcohol Commission.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 11/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Legal Deserts Are a Critical Health Determinant
Highlights the role attorneys play in addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their absence in rural areas exacerbates SDOH. Discusses the concept of "legal deserts" in rural areas, how they affect SDOH, and how things have changed during the pandemic.
Author(s): Michele Statz, Paula Termuhlen
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(10), 1519-1522
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
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The U.S. Rural Mortality Penalty is Wide and Growing
Policy brief examining rural-urban differences in mortality rates among non-Hispanic White people from 1990-2018. Features statistics with breakdowns by age group, sex, metropolitan and nonmetropolitan location, cause of death, and mortality rate per 100,000 people.
Author(s): Shannon M. Monnat
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Aging and Policy Studies, Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
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Health Equity Report 2019-2020: Special Feature on Housing and Health Inequalities
Provides an overview of the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA) program efforts in reducing health disparities and promoting health equity for various populations at the national, state, and local levels. Chapter 10 addresses rural-urban health disparities, with a focus on rural housing inequities and the opioid epidemic, and describes Federal Office of Rural Health Policy programs.
Date: 10/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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