About Rural Health

Rural communities face greater health risks and challenges than urban communities due to less access, economic resources, and barriers. They more commonly face unintentional injuries and often deaths due to motor vehicle accidents and opioid overdoses.

People who live in rural areas in the United States tend to be older and sicker than people living in urban areas. Rural residents have higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and obesity. They also have higher rates of poverty, less access to healthcare, and are less likely to have health insurance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2025).

Mental health is also a huge issue not only in rural areas but in the United States as a whole, but numbers are rising in rural areas specifically.

Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury or death in the United States. In 2021, 106,699 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States. Drug overdose deaths are rising in rural areas and happening more often than in urban areas (CDC, 2025).

In the United States, suicide was responsible for 46,000 deaths in 2020. That is approximately 1 suicide every 11 minutes. Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2025).

In the past two decades, suicide rates have been consistently higher in and risen more in rural areas than urban areas (CDC, 2025).

Although major changes are needed to improve overall healthcare in rural communities, there are more maintainable options the article outlines. This includes doctors screening patients for high blood pressure and providing care to control it, encouraging physical activity and healthier eating, encouraging stopping smoking, and promoting motor vehicle safety. These may not be big changes, but when lack of resources is a main cause for the issue, smaller steps like these can start making a difference.

This article helped me understand that rural healthcare challenges are not limited to a lack of doctors or hospitals. Issues such as mental health, substance use, chronic health conditions, and transportation safety are all connected to the overall health of a community. I found it especially interesting that some of the solutions discussed are relatively small and preventative, such as screening for high blood pressure, encouraging healthier habits, and promoting motor vehicle safety. This made me think about how design could support these smaller interventions and make them easier for people to access and use in their everyday lives. Rather than only focusing on creating a large healthcare system, there may be opportunities to design simple tools, resources, or services that help people take action earlier and prevent more serious health issues.

Reference

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, July 17). About rural health. https://www.cdc.gov/rural-health/php/about/index.html