Disabilities

Research Products & Journal Articles

Browse the full list of research publications on this topic completed by the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

2023

  • 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.

2022

2021

  • Examples of Statewide Age-Friendly Initiatives
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 10/2021
    The purpose of these policy briefs is to identify the extent of statewide programs to support aging in place or age-friendly environments and, within those, to identify the extent to which such programs have an explicit rural focus. The "Examples" document provides an overview of the initiatives identified in the "Environmental Scan."
  • Statewide Age-Friendly Initiatives: An Environmental Scan
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 10/2021
    The purpose of these policy briefs is to identify the extent of statewide programs to support aging in place or age-friendly environments and, within those, to identify the extent to which such programs have an explicit rural focus. The "Examples" document provides an overview of the initiatives identified in the "Environmental Scan."
  • Preferences for Long-Term Care Arrangements Among Rural and Urban Older Adults
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 05/2021
    This study describes care preferences by rural and urban location and by demographic characteristics among rural residents.
  • Demographics and Disability Status of Adults Living Alone in Rural Areas
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 04/2021
    This policy brief examines how the types of people who live alone differ between urban and rural areas, focusing on differences in age and disability status.

2020

  • Acuity Differences Among Newly Admitted Older Residents in Rural and Urban Nursing Homes
    Journal Article
    Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 11/2020
    This study found newly admitted residents of rural nursing homes were more likely to have cognitive issues/problem behaviors than those in urban facilities. Yet rural facilities admitted less complex older (age 75+) residents than urban, raising questions about the rural long-term services and supports system and capacity of rural nursing homes.
  • Health Care Use and Access Among Rural and Urban Nonelderly Adult Medicare Beneficiaries
    Policy Brief
    Maine Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 01/2020
    Little is known about the characteristics and healthcare use of rural residents with disabilities. This study compares access to and use of health services among rural and urban nonelderly Medicare beneficiaries with a disability and the factors associated with rural access issues.

2018

  • Beyond Clinical Complexity: Nonmedical Barriers to Nursing Home Care for Rural Residents
    Journal Article
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 02/2018
    Using data from interviews with rural hospital discharge planners, we identified four themes around nonmedical barriers to rural nursing home placement with particular salience in rural areas: financial issues, transportation, nursing home availability and infrastructure, and timeliness. We also identified policy and programmatic interventions.

2017

  • Barriers to Nursing Home Care for Nonelderly Rural Residents
    Journal Article
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 12/2017
    This study uses data from 23 semi-structured interviews with rural hospital discharge planners in five states to identify specific barriers to finding nursing home care for nonelderly rural residents. We found three primary themes—payment status, fit, and medical complexity—as well as two minor themes—caregivers and bureaucratic processes.

2007

  • Rural/Urban Differences in Barriers to and Burden of Care for Children With Special Health Care Needs
    Journal Article
    North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
    Date: 2007
    Examines the barriers and difficulties experienced by rural families of children with special healthcare needs in caring for their children. Covers rural-urban differences in types of providers used, reasons for unmet healthcare needs, insurance and financial difficulties encountered, and the family burden of providing the child's medical care.

2006

2005