TY - JOUR
T1 - What is rural? Challenges and implications of definitions that inadequately encompass rural people and places
AU - Bennett, Kevin J.
AU - Borders, Tyrone F.
AU - Holmes, George M.
AU - Kozhimannil, Katy Backes
AU - Ziller, Erika
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
©2019 Project HOPE— The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.
PY - 2019/12
Y1 - 2019/12
N2 - Monitoring and improving rural health is challenging because of varied and conflicting concepts of just what rural means. Federal, state, and local agencies and data resources use different definitions, which may lead to confusion and inequity in the distribution of resources depending on the definition used. This article highlights how inconsistent definitions of rural may lead to measurement bias in research, the interpretation of research outcomes, and differential eligibility for rural-focused grants and other funding. We conclude by making specific recommendations on how policy makers and researchers could use these definitions more appropriately, along with definitions we propose, to better serve rural residents. We also describe concepts that may improve the definition of and frame the concept of rurality.
AB - Monitoring and improving rural health is challenging because of varied and conflicting concepts of just what rural means. Federal, state, and local agencies and data resources use different definitions, which may lead to confusion and inequity in the distribution of resources depending on the definition used. This article highlights how inconsistent definitions of rural may lead to measurement bias in research, the interpretation of research outcomes, and differential eligibility for rural-focused grants and other funding. We conclude by making specific recommendations on how policy makers and researchers could use these definitions more appropriately, along with definitions we propose, to better serve rural residents. We also describe concepts that may improve the definition of and frame the concept of rurality.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077532744&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00910
DO - 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00910
M3 - Article
C2 - 31794304
AN - SCOPUS:85077532744
SN - 0278-2715
VL - 38
SP - 1985
EP - 1992
JO - Health Affairs
JF - Health Affairs
IS - 12
ER -