Rural Populations and Health: Determinants, Disparities, and Solutions

Health disparities are the “differences in [the] incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States, ” according to the National Institutes of Health (1). One of these population groups is rural Americans. Indeed, compared with their urban counterparts, rural communities have higher rates of preventable conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and injury, and higher rates of related high-risk health behaviors such as smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, and limited use of seatbelts (2,3). A population 60 million strong, rural individuals are greatly influenced by geography, and so is their health. Whether through the physical terrain of their environment or the composition of their communities, including an aging population, lower socioeconomic status, and higher concentrations of ethnic and racial minorities, rural residents are at risk for negative health outcomes. Despite growing emphasis on alleviating the health disparities that result from rural living, the existing literature used to teach and train public health professionals on rural health issues has focused on the health care system and access-to-care barriers among individuals. Little attention has been directed to rural public health, which includes population-based, preventive approaches to improving the physical, mental, and social well-being of rural residents. Because of the paucity of adequate textbooks for teaching rural public health, Drs Richard Crosby, Monica Wendel, Robin Vanderpool, and Baretta Casey collaborated with colleagues across the country who work in rural communities t