National Public Health Week: Friday
Today’s theme for National Public Health Week is Rural Health!
Fourteen percent of Americans live in rural areas. Rural Americans have higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Compared to urban residents, they are at higher risk for poor health outcomes because of the range of health disparities they face. These health disparities include poverty, food deserts, exposure to specific environmental hazards, and less time for leisurely physical activity. People living in rural areas have less access to health care because of fewer providers and facilities and more transportation barriers. They are also not as likely to have health insurance. These factors play a part in the greater risk of death from heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease and unintentional injury from motor vehicle crashes and opioid overdoses that rural residents face.
Children living in rural areas also face greater challenges with their development, mental health and behavioral health. Youth working on farms are at higher risk of injuries. They are 7.8 times more likely to die because of a work injury compared to youth in other jobs.
So what can be done to improve health in rural areas?
Improve mental and physical health and community involvement by creating activity programs and modifying local areas like parks and playgrounds and creating walking trails and protected bike lanes.
Increase access to health facilities and other public resources by arranging transportation services using volunteer rideshare, public buses, and scheduled vans.
Provide mentoring, counseling, vocational training, and college prep for underrepresented students.
Advocate for easier access to and training of first responders and citizens to use naloxone to decrease the fatal opioid overdose rates.
School breakfast programs help reduce food insecurity and improve student diet, health, and academic achievements.
Research also shows that vocational training for adults and high school students helps strengthen the health workforce available in rural communities and set residents on a path to succeed in and improve their communities.
School-based health care and dropout prevention programs also help high school students achieve academic success.