Comparing research priorities and approaches in Appalachia and Broader Rural Health Contexts: A Scoping review

Introduction:Rural health research continues to expand, yet Appalachian-specific contexts differ from other rural contexts.This scoping review examined health priorities in Appalachian and broader rural health research, comparing patterns in methodological frameworks and exploring how Community Engagement and Team Science are applied in the context of Appalachian health research. Methods:The Population-Concept-Context framework was used to define inclusion criteria for peer-reviewed studies identified through PubMed and Google Scholar searches.Studies selected were grouped by regional focus (Appalachian, Rural, and Rural Appalachian), with thematic synthesis and descriptive analysis applied across domains.