Social Determinants of Health for Rural People – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Social Determinants of Health for Rural People.
Efforts by Critical Access Hospitals to Increase Health Equity Through Greater Engagement with Social Determinants of Health
Examines the ways Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) engage in upstream social determinant of health (SDOH) efforts to improve community health. Analyzes CAH and non-CAH programs that utilize screening, in-house strategies, and external partnerships to address SDOH. Discusses the impacts of SDOH policy on CAHs in rural communities.
Author(s): Bethany Lemont, Neeraj Puro, Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 728-736
Date: 06/2023
view details
Examines the ways Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) engage in upstream social determinant of health (SDOH) efforts to improve community health. Analyzes CAH and non-CAH programs that utilize screening, in-house strategies, and external partnerships to address SDOH. Discusses the impacts of SDOH policy on CAHs in rural communities.
Author(s): Bethany Lemont, Neeraj Puro, Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 728-736
Date: 06/2023
view details
Chartbook: Geographic Distribution of Children and Child Care and Early Education Providers in 2012 and 2019
Examines supply of child care and early education services compared to demand in rural and urban areas. Includes information on children's participation in center-based care and several types of home-based care.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
view details
Examines supply of child care and early education services compared to demand in rural and urban areas. Includes information on children's participation in center-based care and several types of home-based care.
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Children and Families
view details
Persistent Poverty in Counties and Census Tracts
Examines persistent poverty, defined as a community with at least 20% poverty for over 30 years, in U.S. counties and census tracts. Utilizes Census and American Community Survey (ACS) poverty estimates that are compared against other datasets. Includes persistent poverty counties, census tracts, and percentages of the population by state, as well as maps of geographical areas in the U.S. depicting persistent poverty census tracts.
Author(s): Craig Benson, Alemayehu Bishaw, Brian Glassman
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Examines persistent poverty, defined as a community with at least 20% poverty for over 30 years, in U.S. counties and census tracts. Utilizes Census and American Community Survey (ACS) poverty estimates that are compared against other datasets. Includes persistent poverty counties, census tracts, and percentages of the population by state, as well as maps of geographical areas in the U.S. depicting persistent poverty census tracts.
Author(s): Craig Benson, Alemayehu Bishaw, Brian Glassman
Date: 05/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
view details
Landscape of the Health Informatics Workforce: Rapid Response Brief
Focuses on the clinical informatics and public health, population health, and social service informatics subdomains of the health informatics workforce. Mentions resource hubs that serve rural communities by providing guidelines, toolkits, screening tools, and other resources. Examines social determinants of health and gives examples of clinical informatics work that can improve access to care for rural and underserved populations. Features statistics on physicians certified in clinical informatics from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Cynthia LeRouge, Shahida Shahrir, Bianca K Frogner
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Focuses on the clinical informatics and public health, population health, and social service informatics subdomains of the health informatics workforce. Mentions resource hubs that serve rural communities by providing guidelines, toolkits, screening tools, and other resources. Examines social determinants of health and gives examples of clinical informatics work that can improve access to care for rural and underserved populations. Features statistics on physicians certified in clinical informatics from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Cynthia LeRouge, Shahida Shahrir, Bianca K Frogner
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Income and Rural–Urban Status Moderate the Association Between Income Inequality and Life Expectancy in US Census Tracts
Examines how income inequality and life expectancy (LE) are impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) and rural versus urban status at the census-tract level. Utilizes 2010-2015 data to examine the relationship of LE to SES, urbanicity, and other sociodemographic factors. Presents the data through descriptive statistics, figures, and graphs.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Caitlin C. Nash, Erin N. Byrne, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 42, 24
Date: 03/2023
view details
Examines how income inequality and life expectancy (LE) are impacted by socioeconomic status (SES) and rural versus urban status at the census-tract level. Utilizes 2010-2015 data to examine the relationship of LE to SES, urbanicity, and other sociodemographic factors. Presents the data through descriptive statistics, figures, and graphs.
Author(s): Steven A. Cohen, Caitlin C. Nash, Erin N. Byrne, Mary L. Greaney
Citation: Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 42, 24
Date: 03/2023
view details
Integration of Case-Based Dialogue to Enhance Medical Students' Understanding of Using Health Communication to Address Social Determinants of Health
Examines the impact of case-based social determinants of health (SDOH) curriculum on third year medical student knowledge related to SDOH and willingness to care for patients with various cultural differences and needs. Analyzes pre- and post-test survey answers from 640 medical students about their SDOH perceptions and knowledge, including confidence levels in working with rural and medically underresourced patients.
Author(s): Jalysa King, Jennifer Taylor
Citation: Advances in Medical Education and Practice,14, 237-244
Date: 03/2023
view details
Examines the impact of case-based social determinants of health (SDOH) curriculum on third year medical student knowledge related to SDOH and willingness to care for patients with various cultural differences and needs. Analyzes pre- and post-test survey answers from 640 medical students about their SDOH perceptions and knowledge, including confidence levels in working with rural and medically underresourced patients.
Author(s): Jalysa King, Jennifer Taylor
Citation: Advances in Medical Education and Practice,14, 237-244
Date: 03/2023
view details
Your Neighborhood Matters: An Ecological Social Determinant Study of the Relationship Between Residential Racial Segregation And the Risk of Firearm Fatalities
Examines the impact of county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) on firearm fatalities. Analyzes 802 firearm fatalities that occurred in Wisconsin counties in 2019 and their relationship to SDOH, such as segregation, income inequality, community resilience, and rural versus urban classification. Includes county-level maps depicting geographic distribution of segregation and firearm fatalities per 100,000 people.
Author(s): Abdul R. Shour, Ronald Anguzu, Yuhong Zhou, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 10, 14
Date: 03/2023
view details
Examines the impact of county-level social determinants of health (SDOH) on firearm fatalities. Analyzes 802 firearm fatalities that occurred in Wisconsin counties in 2019 and their relationship to SDOH, such as segregation, income inequality, community resilience, and rural versus urban classification. Includes county-level maps depicting geographic distribution of segregation and firearm fatalities per 100,000 people.
Author(s): Abdul R. Shour, Ronald Anguzu, Yuhong Zhou, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 10, 14
Date: 03/2023
view details
Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Health: A Longitudinal Analysis of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in US Counties From 2009 to 2018
Analyzes how social determinants of health (SDOH) are related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality over time. Analyzes county-level data of 17 SDOH from 2009 to 2018 which are further broken down by rural versus urban status.
Author(s): Heejung Son, Donglan Zhang, Ye Shen, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 12(2)
Date: 01/2023
view details
Analyzes how social determinants of health (SDOH) are related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality over time. Analyzes county-level data of 17 SDOH from 2009 to 2018 which are further broken down by rural versus urban status.
Author(s): Heejung Son, Donglan Zhang, Ye Shen, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Heart Association, 12(2)
Date: 01/2023
view details
Rural Healthy People 2030
Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
view details
Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
view details
Taking Stock: Rural People, Rural Places, Rural Housing
Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
view details
Provides an overview of rural definitions, people, places, housing, and poverty in the United States. Includes U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Decennial Census of Population and Housing data that illustrate trends in rural demographics and economy, with data depicted through statistics, charts, and maps. Discusses social determinants of health (SDOH) and issues such as COVID-19, natural disasters, equity, and more.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
view details
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: 7/1/2025