Research Alert: April 24, 2019

Preventive Health Service Use Among Rural Women

Preventive health services and screenings are an important component in the continuum of care provided to individuals across all ages. Yet, research has shown that rural residents generally use fewer preventive health services and screenings. This study used the National Health Interview Survey to examine receipt of preventive health services (cholesterol check, fasting blood sugar test, mammogram, pap smear, and receipt of the HPV vaccine) by rural and urban women over the age of 18. Findings indicate that rural women were less likely than their urban peers to receive preventive health services, and that some of the differences may be explained by rural-urban differences in sociodemographic characteristics. However, even when controlling for these characteristics, lower use of mammogram or HPV vaccine among rural remained. Outreach efforts targeted to rural women, along with policies and programs designed to improve access to rural women's cancer screening and HPV participation, are needed.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• Influence of Rural Residence on the Use of Preventative Health Care Services
• Rural Residents Lag in Preventive Services Use; Lag Increases With Service Complexity
• Trends in Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Practices Among Women in Rural and Urban Areas of the United States
• More information about the Maine Rural Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Healthcare Access, Rural Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health