Alexis Swendener, PhD

University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center

Phone: 612.626.8401
Email: swend041@umn.edu

Division of Health Policy and Management
University of Minnesota
2221 University Ave. SE #350
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Current Projects - (1)
Publications - (11)

Current Projects - (1)

Rural-Urban Differences in Access to and Quality of Care for People With Disabilities
The purpose of this project is to identify rural-urban differences in access to and quality of health care services for people with disabilities. Results from this project will help inform policy to improve access to and quality of care for this growing population in rural areas.
Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Aging, Disabilities, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Quality, Social determinants of health

Publications - (11)

2024

Variation in Elder Abuse State Statutes by State Level of Rurality
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2024
This policy brief examines elements of state-level elder abuse statutes' definitions and reporting requirements to investigate potential differences in these policies by state rurality that could influence one's understanding of elder abuse among rural and urban areas.
Medical Debt in Collections Among Counties by Rural-Urban Location and Racial-Ethnic Composition
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2024
This policy brief examines the differences in the proportion of people with medical debt in collections and median amount of medical debt by rural-urban location. The brief also examines additional differences within rural and urban communities of color.
Health Care Affordability and Medical Debt: Differences by Rurality, Region, and Socio-Demographic Characteristics
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2024
This policy brief examines rural/urban differences in rates of health care (un)affordability, as well as among rural residents by key socio-demographic characteristics.
Risk Factors for Poor Health Among U.S. Older Adults in Rural and Urban Areas: Injury, Food Insecurity, and Lack of Social and Emotional Support
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2024
This policy brief examines three risk factors for poor health outcomes among older adults: injury, food insecurity, and lack of social and emotional support by rural-urban residence.
Rural/Urban Differences in Housing Quality and Adequacy: Findings From the American Housing Survey, 2019
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2024
In this policy brief, researchers identify rural/urban differences in various measures of housing quality using a nationally representative survey.
Rural-Urban Differences in Housing Cost Burden Across the U.S.
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2024
Housing is closely tied to health and well-being, but affordable housing is out of reach for many households. This policy brief examines the proportion of households who are housing cost burdened by rural-urban location across different U.S. geographic spaces in order to identify how housing affordability varies by location.

2023

Rural/Urban Differences in Receipt of Governmental Rental Assistance: Relationship to Health and Disability
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2023
Housing is a vital component of health, and governmental rental assistance is one avenue of increasing access to affordability. In this paper, researchers examined rural/urban and within-rural differences in receipt of governmental rental assistance, with a focus on differences by health and disability.
Differences in Residential Stability by Rural/Urban Location and Socio-Demographic Characteristics
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2023
This policy brief identifies rural/urban differences in residential stability and examines rural/urban differences in regional, socio-demographic, and health characteristics associated with living in the same home for more than 20 years.
Multi-Sector Collaboration to Support Rural Aging
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2023
In this paper, researchers examine the lessons rural areas present for supporting aging, including the role that aging and social services, public health systems, and health care have to play.
Housing Quality by Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Rural-Urban Location: Findings From the American Community Survey
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2023
In this policy brief, researchers examine rates of two key housing quality indicators (having incomplete plumbing and incomplete kitchen facilities) by rural-urban location, as well as at the intersections of racial/ethnic identity and disability status.
Crowded Housing and Housing Cost Burden by Disability, Race, Ethnicity, and Rural-Urban Location
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2023
Housing is closely tied to health outcomes and well-being; however, little research examines housing factors by location. In this policy brief, we examine rates of crowded housing and housing cost burden by rural-urban location, as well as at the intersections of race, ethnicity, and disability status.