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Rural women's health is an infinitely broad topic. Women's health
in rural areas affects everything in their environment from their families to their economies. Access to health care and social services are critical issues for rural women.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tools
CDC-INFO
Web site
Single source for accurate, timely, consistent, and science-based information on a variety of disease prevention and health promotion topics. Representatives are available to answer questions in English and Spanish.
FDA Women's Health Topics
Web site
Information on women's health topics from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Topics include birth control, breast implants, cosmetics, drugs, diseases, and more.
Girlshealth.gov
Web site
Provides girls between the ages of 10 and 16 reliable, useful information on the health issues they will face as they become young women, and tips on handling relationships with family and friends, at school and at home.
Knowledge Paths Index
Web site
Resources and tools of new developments and research on maternal and child health-related topics. Includes links to Web sites, electronic publications, databases, and discussion groups, and citations for journal articles and other print resources.
MedlinePlus: Women's Health Topics
Web site
Health information on a variety of women's health topics.
National Women's Health Information Center
Web site
Provides free health information for women via a web site and toll-free call center: 1-800-994-9662.
National Women's Health Resource Center
Web site
The Healthy Women web site includes information on women's health topics and news on women's health issues.
Physical Activity and Healthy Eating for Rural Young and Adult Women
Web site
Resources to encourage women living in rural areas to increase current levels of physical activity, healthy eating, and communication with their health care providers to set goals for behavioral changes.
Quick Health Data Online
Database
Women's health statistics, covering topics like demographics, health care access, maternal health, mental health, and more. Includes national, regional, state and county-level data.
Rural Cancer Health Disparities Interview
Other
Offers a two-part video of an interview with Dr Eugene Lengerich, who discusses his research on rural cancer health disparities and utilizing community outreach to recruit rural women for mammography screenings.
Rural Health Research: Maternal and child health
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of maternal and child health, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Rural Health Research: Women
Web site
Provides summaries of current and completed rural health research projects and related publications addressing the topic of women, produced by the Office of Rural Health Policy's funded rural health research centers.
Rural Women's Health Project
Web site
Develops community-based educational materials focused on the health issues of rural women and their families, with a special emphasis on the challenges faced by Spanish-speaking farmworking families.
Title V: A Snapshot of Maternal and Child Health
Web site
Presents data on maternal and child health from the 59 States and Jurisdictions that receive Title V Block Grant funds from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Well Woman Program
Web site
Provides preventive health screening services to women with little or no health insurance coverage. Well Woman pays for mammograms, Pap tests, certain other health screenings, and multiple sclerosis testing for women with high risk signs of multiple sclerosis.
Women's Health Care Disparities: State Fact Sheets
Web site
Presents selected data and findings from the report Putting Women’s Health Care Disparities on the Map: Examining Racial and Ethnic disparities at the State Level. Includes individual state fact sheets, data indicators, and a full report.
Women's Health USA 2011
Web site
Provides information on women's health including sections on population characteristics, health status, health behaviors, health indicators, reproductive and maternal health, special populations and health services utilization.
Regulations, Forms & Other Useful Documents
Births: Preliminary Data for 2008
Author(s): Brady E. Hamilton, Joyce A. Martin, Stephanie J. Ventura Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Presents preliminary data for 2008 on births in the United States. U.S. data on births are shown by age, live-birth order, race, and Hispanic origin of mother. Data on marital status, cesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birthweight are also presented. Date: 04 / 2010
Ethics Conflicts in Rural Communities: Reproductive Health Care
Author(s): Barbara Elliott, Ruth Westra Sponsoring organization: Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College This thirteenth chapter of "Handbook for Rural Health Care Ethics," addresses ethics concerns regarding sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and maintaining patient privacy. Date: 2009
Family - Friendly Policies for Rural Working Mothers
Author(s): Rebecca Glauber Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute Presents an analysis of differences in access to
family - friendly policies between rural and urban mothers. Date: 09 / 2009
Health Decision-making Among Rural Women: Physician Access and Prescription Adherence
Author(s): E. L. Carlton, L. A. Simmons Presents findings from a study that explored physician access and prescription adherence among rural, low-income women. Suggests interventions and further research in order to improve access to care and improve the
overall health and wellbeing of rural women. Journal citation: Rural and Remote Health Volume 11 Pages: 1599 Date: 03 / 2011
My Bright Future: Physical Activity and Healthy Eating for Rural Adult Women
Sponsoring organization: HRSA Office of Women's Health Covers wellness topics to help women achieve better physical, emotional, social, and spiritual health by encouraging healthy practices. Date: 09 / 2008
My Bright Future: Physical Activity and Healthy Eating for Rural Young Women
Sponsoring organization: HRSA Office of Women's Health Encourages young women on wellness activities such as physical activity, exercise, and nutrition. Date: 09 / 2008
My Husband Would Not Help Me, So I Was Driving Over There: Older Rural Women Experiencing Breast Cancer With a Non-supportive Intimate Partner
Author(s): Erika Metzler Sawin Describes the experiences of older rural women diagnosed with breast cancer while in a non-supportive, and sometimes abusive, intimate relationship. Journal citation: Rural and Remote Health Date: 11 / 2010
Receipt of Preventive Counseling Among Reproductive-aged Women in Rural and Urban Communities
Author(s): Jennifer McCall-Hosenfeld, Carol Weisman Investigates the association between rurality and receiving preventive counseling among women in Central Pennsylvania. Journal citation: Rural and Remote Health Volume 11 Issue Online Pages: 1617 Date: 01 / 2011
Rural Low Income Women's Struggles and Strength: A Call to Change
Author(s): Juliana Plumb, Bonnie Braun Identifies ways in which rural women's roles as partner, mother, and female citizen impact their lives. The most significant factors emerging from the analysis included: employment, child support, childcare, food security, and emotional well-being. Journal citation: Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences Volume 6 Date: 2007
Rural Women Were Less Likely to Return for Free HPV Vaccination Follow-Up Doses
Sponsoring organization: Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention Describes a study that contrasted rates of HPV vaccine uptake between young women recruited from two rural locations and one urban location. Found that the recruitment location was a major factor in lack of uptake for the booster doses. Journal citation: Rap* Time Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages: 1 Date: 12 / 2011
Rural Women with Disabilities and Depression, Part One: Characteristics and Treatment Patterns
Author(s): Rosemary Hughes Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities An analysis of a study testing the effectiveness of a peer-led depression self-management intervention for rural women with physical disabilities. Date: 07 / 2007
Trends in Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Practices Among Women in Rural and Urban Areas of the United States (Final Report)
Author(s): Mark P. Doescher, J. Elizabeth Jackson Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center Reports on trends in breast cancer screening practices. Participation in mammography improved nationally, but women living in rural locations remained less likely to receive this test than those living in urban settings. Date: 08 / 2008
Women's Health USA 2011
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration Identifies priorities, trends, and disparities in women's health. Contains topics covering secondhand tobacco smoke exposure, Alzheimer's disease, preconception health, unintended pregnancy, oral health care, and data on the health of various populations including lesbian, bisexual, Native Hawaiian, American Indian, and Pacific Islander women. Contains rural data. Date: 10 / 2011
Journals
MCH Alert
Provides references to research findings, policy developments, recently released publications, new programs, and initiatives affecting the maternal and child health (MCH) community. This is a free, weekly electronic newsletter.
Organizations
FDA Office of Women's Health
Federal government
Serves as a champion for women's health both within and outside the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
HRSA Office of Women's Health
Federal government
Coordinates women's activities across the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs.
Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
Federal government
Works to assure the health of American mothers and children. Part of the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Office on Women's Health (OWH)
Federal government
Coordinates women's health efforts in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to eliminate disparities in health status. Supports educational programs that encourage women to take personal responsibility for their own health and wellness.
Society for Women's Health Research
Academic/Research
Works to improve the health of women through research.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Federal government
Protects the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age five by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.
Article Searches & Bibliographies
RAC Documents Search: Women
PubMed
Search: Rural Women's Health and Rural Health Services
Searches PubMed's collection of journal article citations with abstracts for items related to this topic and published in the United States.
Some citations link to the full text of articles through PubMed Central, through your library’s electronic and print holdings, or through the journal's publisher. The first two provide free access; the latter may require payment. Check with your local library for details or call your Regional Medical Library at 800.338.7657.

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