Introduction to Rural Health Research Guide
This research guide contains information and links related to rural health. It was initiated at the start of the Rural Health Scholars program-Roux Institute in Maine. Each tab will provide articles, resources and information on that topic. This is not comprehensive coverage of every article available or every data source. New information is constantly produced and research focus will determine what publications are relevant. Suggestions for selecting resources and tips for searching are in the Literature page of this guide..
*This guide is continually evolving with new content being added as new information is discovered. If you have recommendations for this guide, please reach out to me.
Definition of Rural
The United States Census does not define rural. They consider rural to include all people, housing, and territory that are not within an urban area. Any area that is not urban is rural. The Census defines urban as:
Other organizations have similar categorizations with slight variations.
- Urbanized Areas (UAs) of 50,000 or more people
- Urban Clusters (UCs) of 2,500 - 49,999 people
- After the 2010 Census, they classified 19.3% of the population (59.5 million people) and 97% of the land area as rural. From What is Rural: https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural
What does it mean to be rural?
- Rural America at a Glance 2020 [pdf]US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Report
- Which Definition of Rurality Should I Use? The Relative Performance of 8 Federal Rural Definitions in Identifying Rural-Urban DisparitiesArticle from Medical Care. 2021 Oct; 59(10 Suppl 5): S413–S419.
Requires NU sign-in - What Is Rural? Challenges And Implications Of Definitions That Inadequately Encompass Rural People And PlacesArticle in Health Affairs, Vol. 38, No. 12, December 2019
Requires NU SIgn-in
Other New England States, besides Maine, that have rural areas.
Maine is the most rural state in the country and is just north of Boston, MA. There is a dedicated page for Maine.
Links below are for other New England states.
- Rural MassachusettsMassachusetts has several towns that can be classified as rural. Many of them are in Western Mass
- Defining Rural Rhode IslandRhode Island Office of Primary Care and Rural Health (OPCRH) has developed a definition of rural for the purposes of identifying areas in the state that are potentially at risk for health disparities and limits on access to health care
- VT Rural ResourcesState Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Vermont's population has over 61% living in rural areas and is just slightly lower than Maine. - CT State office of Rural HealthThe CT Office of Rural Health definition of rural: All towns with a population census of 10,000 or less and a population density of 500 or less people per square mile as designated as rural
Rural Health Information Hub
The Rural Health Information Hub is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to be a national clearinghouse on rural health issues.
- RHIhub-find rural data,
-listen to Rural Health podcast,
-discover funding opportunities
-learn about issues that impact rural health
-signup for newsletter to keep up to date - Rural Community Health Toolkit (RHIhub)a section within the hub.
Rural Gov't Sites (Health and General)
- Defining Rural Population
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
-includes links to Census Bureau definition and Office of Management and Budget Definition - Rural Health resource page (CDC)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of the Associate Director for Policy and Strategy
-Rural Health resource page includes COVID-19, CDC Policy Briefs, data briefs, etc. - Rural Economy & Population
USDA Economic Research Service - HRSA-Region 1 (New England)
summary data about HRSA’s activities in Region 1.