Katherine Ahrens, PhD

Maine Rural Health Research Center

Phone: 207.780.4847
Email: katherine.ahrens@maine.edu

University of Southern Maine
PO Box 9300
34 Bedford Street
Portland, ME 04104-9300

Current Projects - (1)

  • A Current Examination of HIV and Hepatitis C in Rural Counties
    Using data from federal and state sources, we will produce a chartbook on county-level data on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence and acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) incidence, examine the availability of Ryan White HIV/AIDS medical providers and other HIV and HCV treatment/testing services across the rural-urban continuum, and estimate county-level prevalence of maternal HCV infection.
    Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Maternal health, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment

Publications - (1)

2020

  • Rural-Urban Residence and Mortality Among Three Cohorts of U.S. Adults
    Policy Brief
    Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 05/2020
    Rural residents have a shorter life expectancy than urban residents. We analyzed national linked survey and death certificate data and found risk of death was 10% higher for rural than urban residents and has increased over time. Findings suggest the overall mortality penalty in rural areas may be partly driven by social determinants of health.