141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

278678
Rural health status: A ten year update of the health US rural report

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 : 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM

Michael Meit, MA, MPH , Public Health Research, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MD
Tzy-Chyi Yu, MHA, PhD , Public Health Research Department, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MD
Alycia Bayne, MPA , Public Health Research Department, Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MD
Shena Popat , Public Health Research Department, Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MD
Tess Gilbert, MHS , Public Health Research Dept, Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MD
Alana Knudson, PhD, EdM , Public Health Research, NORC at the University of Chicago, Bethesda, MD
This presentation will highlight key findings from the recent update of the "Health United States, 2001, With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook," report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The original chartbook was the first comprehensive look at rural health status in the United States, and articulated several areas of health disparity experienced by rural residents who comprise nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population. While the 2001 document remains relevant in many ways, it is critical to explore trends and changes over the past decade, and to create a baseline of rural health status information prior to full implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

With funding through the HRSA Rural Health Research Centers program, the research team replicated the analyses conducted in 2001 using the most recent available data through 2011 and presented findings in a format consistent with the 2001 CDC report to allow for comparisons over time. During this session we will highlight trends in rural health status, both positive and negative, and highlight persistent areas of health disparity.

Information about the health status of rural populations is especially important to document given the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which includes many provisions and programs that could positively impact the health of rural residents. A strong focus of ACA efforts has been on improving health outcomes, making it critically important to establish a baseline understanding of rural health status prior to implementation. In addition to articulating areas of rural health disparity, the updated data will provide a strong baseline of rural/urban differences in health status prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Epidemiology
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate areas of health disparity between rural and non-rural residents. Describe geographic health disparities by rural population sub-group. Compare rural health disparities over time by comparing current data to data collected by CDC in their 2001 report.

Keywords: Rural Populations, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served as a rural health researcher for the past 12 years, and a public health systems researcher for nearly 20 years. I currently co-direct the NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, and serve as key staff to the HRSA-funded Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center through which this project is funded. I have published several articles and provided several presentations on rural health status, rural public health, and rural disparities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.