Social Determinants of Health for Rural People – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Social Determinants of Health for Rural People.
Exploring the Intersection of Rural Housing Quality and Health: Healthcare Providers and Housing Experts Provide Insight
Focuses on rural housing quality as a social determinant of health. Describes how healthcare, housing, and public health organizations can work together to address housing issues and improve population health. Features a Vermont healthcare system and several national programs working to address rural housing quality.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Focuses on rural housing quality as a social determinant of health. Describes how healthcare, housing, and public health organizations can work together to address housing issues and improve population health. Features a Vermont healthcare system and several national programs working to address rural housing quality.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Disparities in Educational Attainment by Race, Ethnicity Persist in Rural America
Stacked bar chart comparing educational attainment in 2000 and 2019 for rural adults age 25 and older. Each bar shows the portion of the population with an educational attainment of below high school; high school, some college, or associate's degree; and bachelor's degree or higher.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Stacked bar chart comparing educational attainment in 2000 and 2019 for rural adults age 25 and older. Each bar shows the portion of the population with an educational attainment of below high school; high school, some college, or associate's degree; and bachelor's degree or higher.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Opportunities in Medicaid and CHIP to Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Describes services and supports that can be covered by Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Discusses federal authorities and other opportunities that states can utilize to address SDOH through Medicaid and CHIP, including through Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Appendix B highlights examples of services and supports and the corresponding federal authorities that could be used to cover each.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Describes services and supports that can be covered by Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Discusses federal authorities and other opportunities that states can utilize to address SDOH through Medicaid and CHIP, including through Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Appendix B highlights examples of services and supports and the corresponding federal authorities that could be used to cover each.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: 2019
Highlights from the 2019 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), which provides single-year median household income and poverty statistics. Includes county-level maps showing income and poverty rates in 2019 and changes from 2007 to 2019.
Author(s): Staci Bell, Sara Robinson
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Highlights from the 2019 Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), which provides single-year median household income and poverty statistics. Includes county-level maps showing income and poverty rates in 2019 and changes from 2007 to 2019.
Author(s): Staci Bell, Sara Robinson
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Occupational Employment and Wages in Metro and Nonmetro Areas
A collection of charts with data on metropolitan and nonmetropolitan employment and wages. Includes wage comparisons by occupation for metro and nonmetro areas. Provides information on healthcare-related occupations. Also includes information on wages by educational attainment for metro and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Stella Fayer, Audrey Watson
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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A collection of charts with data on metropolitan and nonmetropolitan employment and wages. Includes wage comparisons by occupation for metro and nonmetro areas. Provides information on healthcare-related occupations. Also includes information on wages by educational attainment for metro and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Stella Fayer, Audrey Watson
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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Accountable Health Communities Model - Two Rural Participants' Experiences
Describes how two health systems, Ballard Health and Rocky Mountain Health Plan, implemented the Accountable Health Communities Model to address health-related social needs of rural Medicare, Medicaid, and dual-eligible beneficiaries. Discusses challenges each system faced while implementing the model.
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Describes how two health systems, Ballard Health and Rocky Mountain Health Plan, implemented the Accountable Health Communities Model to address health-related social needs of rural Medicare, Medicaid, and dual-eligible beneficiaries. Discusses challenges each system faced while implementing the model.
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Educational Attainment Persist in Rural America
Brief report on rural educational attainment by race/ethnicity for the following groups: White, Black or African American, Native American or Alaska Native, Hispanic of any race. Includes a bar chart showing the portion of each group with a bachelor's degree or higher, high school or some college, and those without a high school degree.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Brief report on rural educational attainment by race/ethnicity for the following groups: White, Black or African American, Native American or Alaska Native, Hispanic of any race. Includes a bar chart showing the portion of each group with a bachelor's degree or higher, high school or some college, and those without a high school degree.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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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
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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
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Association Between Social Vulnerability and a County's Risk for Becoming a COVID-19 Hotspot — United States, June 1–July 25, 2020
Examines associations between social vulnerability and COVID-19 hotspot locations, based on June 1–July 25, 2020 county-level COVID-19 cases and data from the 2018 CDC social vulnerability index. Includes data by level of urbanicity for large metropolitan, small/medium metro, and nonmetro counties. Looks at both social vulnerability overall and specific components, including racial/ethnic minority population, percent of residents who speak English less than well, and housing and transportation vulnerability.
Author(s): Sharoda Dasgupta, Virginia B. Bowen, Andrew Leidner, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(42), 1535-1541
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Examines associations between social vulnerability and COVID-19 hotspot locations, based on June 1–July 25, 2020 county-level COVID-19 cases and data from the 2018 CDC social vulnerability index. Includes data by level of urbanicity for large metropolitan, small/medium metro, and nonmetro counties. Looks at both social vulnerability overall and specific components, including racial/ethnic minority population, percent of residents who speak English less than well, and housing and transportation vulnerability.
Author(s): Sharoda Dasgupta, Virginia B. Bowen, Andrew Leidner, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(42), 1535-1541
Date: 10/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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New Data Show One-in-Six Children Were Poor Before COVID-19 Pandemic
Reports on child poverty rates from 2007 through 2019 for cities, suburban areas, and rural areas.
Author(s): Jessica A. Carson, Sarah Boege
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Reports on child poverty rates from 2007 through 2019 for cities, suburban areas, and rural areas.
Author(s): Jessica A. Carson, Sarah Boege
Date: 09/2020
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Educational attainment
- Employment and unemployment
- Environmental health
- Health literacy
- Housing and homelessness
- Income
- Infrastructure
- Poverty
- Social determinants of health
Last Updated: 4/2/2025