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Journal of Rural Health
H-index 19

Journal of Rural Health

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Social Sciences and Humanities 313 46 45 12
Medicine 1681 71 67 15

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 159
Documents by Best Scientists*: 131
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 4
SCIMAGO H-index: 74
SCIMAGO SJR: 1.609
Impact Factor: 2.7

Overview

Top Research Topics at Journal of Rural Health?

The foci of the journal are Rural area, Health care, Nursing, Family medicine and Rural health. Some problems in Rural area that were presented in Journal of Rural Health overlapped with concepts under Demography, Gerontology, Public health and Environmental health. It holds forums on Demography that merges themes from other disciplines such as Socioeconomic status and Logistic regression.

The studies on Environmental health discussed can also contribute to research in the domains of Health equity, Injury prevention, Occupational safety and health and Suicide prevention. Issues in Health care were discussed, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Psychological intervention and Mental health. Journal of Rural Health is concerned with the study of Mental health and Psychiatry in general.

The presented studies in Health promotion fall within the purview of Nursing but it also intertwines with topics in Rural hospital. Journal of Rural Health connects research in Family medicine with the related topic of MEDLINE. Journal of Rural Health explores the study of Rural health to improve our understanding of the broader topic of Economic growth.

  • Rural area (43.63%)
  • Health care (27.28%)
  • Nursing (25.59%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Prevalence of Obesity among Adults from Rural and Urban Areas of the United States: Findings from NHANES (2005-2008). (375 citations)
  • Geographic Access to Health Care for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries (346 citations)
  • Obesity and physical inactivity in rural America. (312 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Journal of Rural Health:

The published articles are organized to reinforce research efforts on Rural area, Health care, Environmental health, Gerontology and Nursing. The journal publications explore issues in Rural area which can be linked to other research areas like Mental health, Public health, Demography and Family medicine. While Nursing is the focus of the most cited articles, it also provides insights into the studies of Workforce and MEDLINE.

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Law
  • Health care
  • Internal medicine

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal mainly deals with areas of study such as Rural area, Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Rural health, Health care and Family medicine. While Rural area is the focus of the journal, it also provided insights into the studies of Service delivery framework, Census, Health equity, Public health and Risk factor. The featured Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) studies mainly concentrate on 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak but also cover areas of interest in Environmental health and Coronavirus.

Concepts in Nursing, as well as related topics in Focus group, are covered in the Rural health research presented in the journal. The research on Health care presented in Journal of Rural Health often intersects with areas of study such as

  • Demography which is related to area like Logistic regression, Rurality and Medicaid,
  • Emergency department that connect with fields like Emergency medicine.. Aside from discussions in Family medicine, the journal also deals with the subject of Mental health which intersects with Suicide prevention disciplines.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • A Commentary on Rural-Urban Disparities in COVID-19 Testing Rates per 100,000 and Risk Factors. (55 citations)
  • Susceptibility of Southwestern American Indian Tribes to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). (31 citations)
  • COVID-19 During the Opioid Epidemic - Exacerbation of Stigma and Vulnerabilities. (30 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Journal of Rural Health (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Ira Moscovice (35 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Keith J. Mueller (29 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition,
  • Janice C. Probst (26 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition the same number as at the previous edition,
  • Thomas C. Ricketts (25 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • L. Gary Hart (24 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Journal of Rural Health (based on the number of publications) are:

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (107 papers) published 10 papers at the last edition, 5 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of Kentucky (103 papers) published 21 papers at the last edition, 13 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of Washington (85 papers) published 6 papers at the last edition, 3 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of Minnesota (80 papers) published 7 papers at the last edition, 4 more than at the previous edition,
  • University of Iowa (66 papers) published 6 papers at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2021 edition, 1.78% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 46.99% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 7.23% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 21.08% of all publications and 24.70% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

How Substance Abuse Issues Impact Rural Health

The implications of substance abuse in rural communities is a critical issue discussed in the Journal of Rural Health, intertwining with important subjects such as mental health, healthcare accessibility, and family medicine. These problems often exhibit an amplified presence in rural zones due to several factors, including, but not limited to, limited access to suitable healthcare, isolation, and limited economic opportunities. These factors contribute to an exacerbated prevalence of substance abuse and dependence, which ultimately weighs heavily on the overall health outcomes in these regions.

To throw more light on this issue, dedicated professionals such as licensed substance abuse counselors play a significant role in these communities. These professionals help combat and manage substance abuse problems by providing critical rehabilitation services, counseling, and support to affected individuals in rural communities. They form an integral part of healthcare teams in tackling substance abuse and improving health outcomes in rural areas.

For more in-depth understanding of the role and requirements to become a licensed substance abuse counselor in rural settings such as Montana, you can refer to this article. How to become a licensed substance abuse counselor in Montana.

In conclusion, it is noteworthy to mention that the correlation between substance abuse and the health of individuals in rural areas is a pressing issue that extends beyond medical health. The socio-economic impact it has on these communities is significant, and taking that into consideration is crucial in coming up with sustainable solutions and interventions that will improve health outcomes in rural settings.

Top Publications

  • COVID-19 During the Opioid Epidemic - Exacerbation of Stigma and Vulnerabilities.

    Wiley D. Jenkins;Rebecca Bolinski;John Bresett;Brent Van Ham

    (2021)
    101 Citations
  • Telemedicine Services During COVID‐19: Considerations for Medically Underserved Populations

    (2020)
    58 Citations
  • Health Care Disparities Across the Urban-Rural Divide: A National Study of Individuals with COPD.

    Adam W Gaffney;Adam W Gaffney;Laura Hawks;Laura Hawks;Alexander C White;Alexander C White;Steffie Woolhandler;Steffie Woolhandler

    (2020)
    50 Citations
  • Importance of Driving and Potential Impact of Driving Cessation for Rural and Urban Older Adults.

    David Strogatz;Thelma J. Mielenz;Andrew K. Johnson;Ida R. Baker

    (2020)
    42 Citations
  • Community Attitudes Toward Opioid Use Disorder and Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in a Rural Appalachian County.

    Taylor Beachler;T Aaron Zeller;Moonseong Heo;Jennifer Lanzillotta-Rangeley

    (2021)
    39 Citations
  • Rurality and Risk of Perinatal Depression Among Women in the United States

    Nichole Nidey;Karen M. Tabb;Knute D. Carter;Wei Bao

    (2020)
    33 Citations
  • Rural and urban differences in perceptions, behaviors, and health care disruptions during the COVID‐19 pandemic

    (2022)
    33 Citations

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Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal