How much of this is simply a lack of healthcare availability in rural areas? We've been seeing reports for years of health clinics and hospitals closing in rural areas. Even emergency services are becoming problematic.
Consider that cardiovascular issues are one of the leading causes of death in the US. Time is of the essence. If your local hospital has been closed, your emergency services have been consolidated in your county, you're much more likely to be DOA than someone in the city.
Also, didn't the opioid crises primarily occurred in rural areas?
That's going to affect the stats, too.
jschveibinz
Life in rural America has always been difficult. Appalachia, for example, has a history of severe poverty that in some ways still exists.
Hasn't the opioid epidemic really screwed up a lot of rural America? I see interviews online, and it seems like half the people are struggling with addiction. And a lot of others are loaded up with prescription psychotropics. These things may be related, what with "self-meducation". And perhaps there are selection effects -- the mentally well ones got out? But there's some kind of cocktail of drugs and mental illness out there.
frogperson
I grew up in a small town, about 1000 people. I can only visit for 2 or 3 days because there is zero options for eating healthy. The gas station has pizza and subs, Dollar General has no produce, and the one restraunt is burgers and fries. I feel tired and gross after a few days. I can't image what years of that diet would do to a person.
tocs3
I was raised and live in an area of Central Texas with some of the highest growth rates in the US. It might be that a sort of rural gentrification is just destroying a lifestyle that was always taken for granted. Small farms/ranches around here are economically unfeasible. Small businesses cannot compete with large well established/funded corporations. Handyman jobs (still needed) are commodified and often the answer is just "tear it down" and build something new. Land prices have skyrocket along with taxed food prices and everything else. "Food deserts" are sort of real but it just results in giant tax breaks to bulldoze fields and put in 50 acre of parking lots and giant box stores. Local governments are supporting new development with roads, city services. There is not much opportunity (or incentive) for anyone that has been living in the area for all their lives.
Circlecrypto2
Looks like the article points towards smoking and obesity mostly. Could be worse due to food deserts and lack of health care.
Consider that cardiovascular issues are one of the leading causes of death in the US. Time is of the essence. If your local hospital has been closed, your emergency services have been consolidated in your county, you're much more likely to be DOA than someone in the city.
Also, didn't the opioid crises primarily occurred in rural areas? That's going to affect the stats, too.