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 "Searching the literature" tab.
Definition of Rural:
The 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:
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 <https://www.hrsa.gov/rural-health/about-us/what-is-rural>
Other organizations have similar categorizations with slight variations.
--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 l.fennell@northeastern.edu--
Other New England States, besides Maine, that have rural areas.
The Rural Health Information Hub is funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to be a national clearinghouse on rural health issues.
Government and private sources may invest in initiatives around improving rural health. Below are a few recent (in 2022) efforts.
Searching for funding sources can also be done on government sites or by using a subscription service available through NU Library.
