From: Measuring rurality in health services research: a scoping review
Variable | Frequency (%) |
---|---|
Geographic Unit | |
 County | 59 (57%) |
 Zip Code | 36 (35%) |
 Population Density | 4 (4%) |
 Other | 4 (4%) |
Definition Used to Determine Rurality | |
 Rural–Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes | 30 (29%) |
 Metropolitan Statistical Areas | 16 (15%) |
 Rural–Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) | 12 (12%) |
 Urban Influence Codes | 11 (11%) |
 County Designation (state or federal) | 11 (11%) |
 Core Based Statistical Areas | 6 (6%) |
 National Center for Health Statistics approach | 6 (6%) |
 Othera | 11 (11%) |
Population Studied | |
 Rural and Urban | 83 (81%) |
 Rural Only | 20 (19%) |
Number of Rural Categories used by authors | |
 1 | 66 (64%) |
 2 | 20 (19%) |
 3 or more | 17 (17%) |
Data Type | |
 Primary | 10 (10%) |
 Secondary | 93 (90%) |
Primary HSR Focus | |
 Access | 57 (55%) |
 Quality | 23 (22%) |
 Cost | 16 (16%) |
 Othera | 7 (7%) |
Studies Found Difference in Outcomes Between Urban and Rural Populations (yes) | 68 (92%) |
Year | |
 2010 – 2013 | 17 (17%) |
 2014—2017 | 35 (34%) |
 2018—2020 | 44 (46%) |
Journal | |
 Journal of Rural Health | 44 (43%) |
 Health Affairs | 21 (20%) |
 Medical Care | 12 (11%) |
 Health Services Research | 10 (10%) |
 American Journal of Public Health | 9 (9%) |
 Medical Care Research and Review | 5 (5%) |
 Journal of Healthcare Management | 2 (2%) |