Rural Health
Research Gateway

Rural statistics and demographics

Current Projects

  • "Older, Sicker, Poorer": A Scoping Review of the Literature That Contributes to This Narrative on Rural Americans
    The investigators will conduct a scoping review of peer-reviewed literature to explore the contributive evidence that rural Americans are older, sicker, and poorer. The project will provide historical and context-setting perspectives on the factors that have led to this description and the extent to which it still holds true. The project will also identify literature gaps to inform future research.
    Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Aging, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics
  • Changes in Rural Health Insurance Coverage, 2020-2023
    This project uses secondary data sources to characterize changes in health insurance coverage during the public health emergency (2020-2023) for rural and urban people according to demographic, employment, and geographic characteristics, and to describe how changes in federal policies impacted coverage. Researchers also assess the potential impact of maintaining more robust marketplace subsidies on rural and urban coverage rates once the "unwinding" of continuous Medicaid enrollment is complete.
    Research center: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Health reform, Healthcare financing, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Private health insurance, Rural statistics and demographics, Uninsured and underinsured
  • Comparing Across Health Indices: Differences by Rurality, Missingness, and Associations With Health Outcomes
    The purpose of this study is to describe and compare existing area-level indices of vulnerability by rurality and to examine associations between indices and health outcomes of interest by area-level measures of rurality.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured
  • Geographic and Socio-Demographic Correlates of Medical Debt Among Rural Residents
    Medical debt is widespread and impacts financial well-being and access to care. While research suggests that medical debt is higher among rural residents compared to urban residents, more work is needed to conclusively demonstrate rural/urban differences in medical debt and within-rural risk factors for greater medical debt by geography and socio-demographic characteristics.
    Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Poverty, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health
  • Identifying High-Need Counties for Resource Planning
    The primary aim of this project is to use data examining health care infrastructure, chronic disease prevalence, and the socioeconomic environment to create a metric for classifying rural counties based on needs and resources.
    Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Diabetes, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Maternal health, Obesity, Oral health, Physicians, Poverty, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured, Workforce
  • Impact of High Deductible Health Plans on Rural Populations
    Using data from Merative MarketScan insurance claims, this study will investigate utilization, spending, and care patterns of rural members enrolled in high deductible health plans (HDHP) compared to traditional plans. Trends in health outcomes before and after HDHP growth will be assessed to inform policy design tailored to rural residents.
    Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Private health insurance, Rural statistics and demographics
  • Improving Health for "Homebound" Older Adults in Rural and Urban Areas
    This project will describe rural-urban differences in the risk of, and characteristics associated with, being classified as "homebound." We will also identify policy and programmatic interventions to reduce the risk of becoming homebound as well as to improve outcomes for those who are homebound.
    Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Aging, Disabilities, Health disparities and health equity, Home health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health
  • Measuring Rural-Urban Differences in Indigenous American Indian and Alaska Native Health
    This project will describe rural-urban and regional differences in health and health care access for Indigenous American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people; measure disparities in health between AI/AN people and non-Indigenous white people; and assess whether disparities are greater in rural areas.
    Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health
  • Oral Healthcare Utilization and Outcomes of Rural and Urban Medicaid-Insured Children in the United States
    Using nationally representative Medicaid claims data, this project will determine rural-urban differences in the prevalence of early childhood caries, preventative dental visits, and restorative dental visits.
    Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Topics: Children and adolescents, Health disparities and health equity, Medicaid and CHIP, Oral health, Rural statistics and demographics
  • Rural Poverty and Health: A Chartbook
    This chartbook will use nationally representative surveys and county-level data to provide a comprehensive overview of the health and wellbeing of rural Americans living in poverty.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Healthcare access, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics
  • Socioeconomic Profiles and Market Characteristics Associated with Ambulance Deserts
    We will address the extent to which vulnerable, aging populations live in ambulance deserts and identify ambulance desert populations facing additional barriers to healthcare access. We will also assess the impact of hospital closures on travel distances to the nearest health care facilities.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Healthcare access, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Transportation
  • Suicide Mortality: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Rates
    Suicide contributes to significant mortality in the United States. This project will examine the variation in suicide rates by geography and explore its driving factors among urban and rural areas in the United States from 2018 to 2021. The research design of this study will adopt a cross-sectional, retrospective approach, using secondary data.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured
  • The Rural Landscape of Diabetes in the United States
    Rural-urban differences in diabetes and diabetes management may be attributed to socioeconomic differences and treatment available to rural residents. Using data from 2021-2023 National Health Interview Survey, this study will examine 1) rural-urban differences in diabetes and prediabetes incidence and prevalences, 2) rural-urban differences in the management, treatment, and complications associated with diabetes, and co-occurring risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Using data from the 2021 and 2022 CDC WONDER, we will also report diabetes mortality differences by rurality and race/ethnicity.
    Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Topics: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Diabetes, Healthcare access, Hispanics, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics
  • Understanding Rural Health Data Challenges through Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Publication Limitations
    This project will quantify and characterize health data-related limitations commonly identified in published studies on rural health and ways in which researchers overcome these challenges. Findings will provide a rigorous description of rural health data challenges, which may be used by researchers, policymakers, and rural health data collectors to improve rural data and research using rural data.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topic: Rural statistics and demographics