According to the U.S. Census, approximately one-third of Iowa’s population lives in rural areas. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget considers 17 of 30 defined statistical areas in Iowa to be micropolitan or rural.

Our unique location drives our work. We consider “rural” to be a context, a social determinant, a culture, and a skill set. We have a track record of research and publications in this strategic area. We are shaping scholarship by critically engaging with the definition of rurality, promoting rural health through novel approaches, and changing the face of what people view as rural contexts. Our students graduate with a keen understanding of public health in rural settings.

One key question we ask in this work is: How can evidence-based interventions be adapted to rural contexts, or can they be?

Here are some of the rural-health-related projects our faculty are currently engaged in:

Active Iowa

Rima Afifi & Natoshia Askelson

The Active Iowa research program is part of the Prevention Research Center on Rural Health at the CPH. This project will explore mechanisms to disseminate an evidence-based physical activity intervention to several rural counties in Iowa working with health departments and other community organizations.  This project builds on the success of Active Ottumwa that increased the physical activity of residents of Ottumwa, Iowa.  The project is guided by a statewide advisory board of relevant stakeholders.

Translation of an Evidence-Based Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program into Rural Community-Based Prevention Network

Rima Afifi

This is one of the project of the Injury Prevention Research Center at the CPH, and will begin in 2021.  The project aims at preventing TDV through implementation of the Start Strong intervention in middle schools.  The project is an implementation science research project and will measure the fidelity and adaptation of Start Strong, and measure the effectiveness of Start Strong in changing school population-level TDV knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and policies following regional coalition implementation in Iowa middle schools.

Improving Nutrition in Rural School Lunchrooms

Natoshia Askelson

In collaboration with the Iowa Department of Education, we are working with rural schools to improve the school lunchroom environment and encourage fruit and vegetable consumption. We use principles of behavioral economics to modify lunchrooms to make healthy choices easier to make for students.

HPV Vaccination Uptake in Rural Areas

Natoshia Askelson

As part of an NIH-funded grant, we are exploring barriers to the uptake of the HPV vaccine in rural areas. We have used a multi-method approach including site visits, surveys (health care providers, school nurses, youth-serving organizations, and faith-based organizations) and interviews (clinic managers, dentists, and pharmacists).