Rural statistics and demographics

Completed Projects

Burden of Asthma Among Rural Residents: A National Study
Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health disparities, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics
This study uses data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine the prevalence of and trends in asthma—among rural residents by type of geographic location and by key risk factors.

Chartbook: Obesity in Urban and Rural Children
Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Children, Obesity, Rural statistics and demographics
By providing a descriptive analysis of the disparities of childhood obesity by residence, socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity, the study will offer important information about the needs of children and adolescents living in rural areas and from families of low socioeconomic status.

Chartbook: Oral Health and Unmet Needs for Dental Care Among Children
Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Children, Dental health, Health disparities, Rural statistics and demographics
This study will characterize oral health status, dental care utilization, and unmet dental care needs among U.S. children by urban/rural residence. It will provide a descriptive analysis, using cross-sectional data from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health.

Comparison of Assisted Living in Rural and Non-Rural Areas
Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Long term care, Rural statistics and demographics

Describing the Health Care Infrastructure in Rural Towns
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Hospitals and clinics, Mid-level practitioners, Physicians, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Rural statistics and demographics

Disability Burdens among Rural and Urban Older Americans
Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Aging, Disabilities, Health disparities, Long term care, Rural statistics and demographics
This project will use the 1994-2000 Second Longitudinal Study of Aging to develop detailed estimates of healthy, disabled, and total life expectancy among rural and urban populations. We will develop and compare the estimates between women and men, by race/ethnicity, and across differing levels of education.

Health Care System Response to a Growing Latino Population in Rural America
Research center: Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Cultural competency, Hispanics, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics

Impact of Health Insurance Coverage on Native Elder Health: Implications for Addressing the Health Care Needs of Rural American Indian Elders
Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Aging, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Frontier health, Health insurance and the uninsured, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics
This project examined the types of health insurance coverage of rural Native American elders ages 55 and older, and examine how different types of health insurance coverage and lack of health insurance coverage impact access to health care services among Native American elders by geographic location (rural frontier, rural non-frontier and urban).

National Study of Substance Abuse Prevalence and Treatment Services in Rural Areas
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health disparities, Health services, Rural statistics and demographics, Substance abuse
This project will research the prevalence of the abuse of legal and illegal substances across rural populations and geographic areas, including the extent to which rural individuals are receiving treatment for their substance abuse and barriers to the receipt of treatment.

Nursing Home Quality: A Comparison between Rural and Non-Rural Nursing Homes
Research center: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Long term care, Quality, Rural statistics and demographics
The research examines the effect of location (rural/non-rural) on the characteristics of nursing homes and residents, and on various indicators of quality of care.

Patterns of Individual Health Plan Coverage Among Rural Residents
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health insurance and the uninsured, Rural statistics and demographics

Pharmaceutical Data Validity in Estimating Rural Population Health
Research center: ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics
This project will allow for the quantification of variation in morbidity (via prescription use) across rural areas; identify locations that might be at risk for stunted economic development due to high levels of chronic illness in the working population; and potentially lead to the development of a valid and reliable measure of county-level rates of chronic illness using prescription data as a proxy.

Prevalence of Chronic Disease and the Degree of Rurality of American Indian Elders in a Nationally Representative Sample of 100 Tribes
Research center: ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Aging, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Chronic diseases and conditions, Frontier health, Long term care, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics
This project will determine if there are differences in prevalence of chronic disease in American Indian elders across age groups in urban vs. rural vs. frontier counties. Moderating factors of chronic disease will also be examined including health damaging behaviors, access to health care services and providers and degree of functional limitation.

Rapid and Flexible Analysis of Data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health policy, Medicare, Rural statistics and demographics
Project staff will provide rapid and flexible analysis of CMS data in response to requests from ORHP staff. Work will be ongoing throughout the contract year, with the design of individual products determined in response to ORHP staff needs.

Rural Minority Health Data Warehouse
Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health disparities, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics

Rural Minority Health: A Comprehensive Assessment
Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: African Americans, Health disparities, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics
This study will profile demographics of rural African Americans by region of the U.S.; describe clinical problems prevalent in rural African American populations; explore available health care facilities and practitioners in rural areas; investigate outpatient treatment provided to rural African American populations by type of practitioner; explore expenditures for health care among rural African Americans by region of the U.S.; and determine barriers to care such as insurance, provider availability, and health beliefs and behaviors.

Rural Minority Health: A Comprehensive Assessment of Health Status, Health Care Utilization and Barriers to Care among Rural Minorities
Research center: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health disparities, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics

Rural Population and Providers: Mapping the 2000 Census
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Rural statistics and demographics, Workforce

State Facts about Medicaid: Rural Specific Data
Research center: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Medicaid and S-CHIP, Rural statistics and demographics
This project will develop state-specific fact sheets which will include information on the groups covered (and income eligibility), structure of the state’s SCHIP program, services covered, delivery system, some provider payment information for certain safety net providers, and percentage of the state’s rural and urban population that are enrolled in Medicaid. Additional information comparing urban and rural areas of the state will be provided, when available. The rural and urban comparisons will include total numbers of Medicaid recipients, Medicaid expenditures, and enrollment in different types of managed care plans.

U.S. Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions: A Rural/Urban Comparison
Research center: ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Rural statistics and demographics
This project will assess trends, patterns, and predictors of hospitalizations for three ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) (i.e., uncontrolled diabetes, bacterial pneumonia, and pediatric asthma) among rural and urban residents in the United States. The study will involve the examination of 2003 HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample data.