Rural Population

Rural Population in United States

United States

Rural areas are often under-resourced and face unique challenges with respect to the social determinants of health. Compared with those living in urban areas, rural populations have a 40% higher rate of preventable hospitalizations and a 23% higher mortality rate. People living in rural areas are more likely to die from cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, heart disease, stroke and unintentional injury than those living in urban areas. Motor vehicle accidents and drug deaths from opioids are also higher in rural areas, contributing to an unintentional injury death rate of approximately 50% higher than in urban areas. Rural residents also tend to be older than their urban counterparts.

The health of rural populations is impacted by a complex mix of economic, social, racial, ethnic, geographic and health workforce factors. Geographic isolation, lower socioeconomic status, lack of access to health care and behavioral risk factors exacerbate each other and contribute to the health disparities between rural and urban populations.

Addressing rural health disparities requires special policy considerations at all levels of the government and community.

In order to reduce health disparities in rural areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that health care providers:

• Participate in state-level comprehensive cancer control programs that address prevention, education, screening, access to care, support for cancer survivors and healthy living.
• Connect families of children with mental, behavioral or developmental disorders with support networks and resources. 
• Educate patients about motor vehicle safety. 
• Encourage smoking cessation, regular physical activity and other healthy behaviors.
• Follow the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.

Dowell, Deborah, Kathleen R. Ragan, Christopher M. Jones, Grant T. Baldwin, and Roger Chou. “CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain — United States, 2022.” MMWR. Recommendations and Reports 71, no. 3 (November 4, 2022): 1–95. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.rr7103a1.

Johnston, Kenton J., Hefei Wen, and Karen E. Joynt Maddox. “Lack Of Access To Specialists Associated With Mortality And Preventable Hospitalizations Of Rural Medicare Beneficiaries.” Health Affairs 38, no. 12 (December 1, 2019): 1993–2002. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2019.00838.