Social Determinants of Health for Rural People – Resources

Student Homelessness Growing Fastest in Rural America
Examines trends in homelessness among rural students, which may contribute to disparities in health and academic outcomes. Explores challenges in identifying and supporting homeless families, funding in rural schools, and obstacles facing homeless rural students. Features statistics including percent change in number of homeless students from school years 2013-2014 to 2016-2017 in select states, with breakdowns by rural or nonrural locations.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness
view details

Using Upstream Quality Improvement to Address Transportation
Module 5 in a series of video trainings for clinicians on how they can help address the social determinants of health. This segment discusses transportation and addresses rural issues. Includes a case study conversation with Jill Lord, director of community health at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center, a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) in Vermont.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details

Practicing Medicine in Rural America: Listening to Primary Care Physicians
Reports on focus group research and interviews with primary care physicians regarding the challenges of serving rural, low-income patients. Highlights issues related to poverty, healthy food access, mental health, substance abuse, specialty care access, and transportation. Third post in the series "Listening to Primary Care Physicians for Low-Income Patients."
Author(s): Shanoor Seervai
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
view details

Shaping Summertime Experiences: Opportunities to Promote Healthy Development and Well-Being for Children and Youth
Examines the impact of summertime experiences on school-age children and youth related to academic learning, social and emotional development, physical and mental health, and health-promoting and safety behaviors. Includes discussion of rural residence and its impact on children's access to supportive services, including food programs, during the summer.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Summertime Experiences and Child and Adolescent Education, Health, and Safety
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details

HUD Policy Brief: Understanding the Impact and Potential for Health Centers - Rural Homelessness
Provides information to help health centers connect people experiencing rural homelessness with housing and services. Summarizes challenges to ending rural homelessness and efforts of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) addressing rural homelessness.
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Corporation for Supportive Housing
view details

The Social Determinants of Health and the Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy: Implications for Appalachia
Study explores life expectancy in the U.S. and compares these trends to those in Appalachia. Looks at social determinants of health such as substance use, injuries, and suicide, among others, as possible contributing factors.
Author(s): Steven H. Woolf, Heidi Schoomaker, Latoya Hill, Christine M. Orndahl
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 1(1), 6-14
Date: 2019
Type: Document
view details

The Poverty-Reducing Effect of Five Key Government Programs in Rural and Urban America
Examines rural and urban residents' income from five social programs: Social Security, disability benefits, federal and state cash assistance, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Looks at the role of these programs in reducing poverty and reports how much poverty would increase in rural and urban areas without each program.
Author(s): Jessica Carson Marybeth Mattingly
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
view details

Achieving Behavioral Health Equity for Children, Families, and Communities: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes findings from a November 2017 workshop focused on exploring health equity in children and families. Chapter 4 includes discussion on healthcare quality and access for behavioral health services in rural communities. Offers suggestions for initiatives, policies, and programs to support behavioral health promotion, access behavioral health services, and improve the social determinants of health.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Sarah Tracey, Erin Kellogg, Clarissa Sanchez, Wendy Keenan
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details

Percentage of Households With Subscription to Any Broadband Service: 2013-2017
National map showing household broadband subscription rates by county.
Additional links: Completely Rural Counties, Mostly Rural Counties, Mostly Urban Counties
Date: 12/2018
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details

Evidence Review — Social Determinants of Health for Veterans
Reports findings from a literature review of studies focused on social determinants of health for veterans. Summarizes study characteristics, social determinants addressed, and whether health behaviors, health services utilization, and health outcomes were examined. Includes an analysis of the studies that looked at effects of rurality, trauma, and sexual orientation.
Author(s): Wei Duan-Porter, Brian C. Martinson, Nancy Greer, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 33(10), 1785-1795
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
view details