Rural living has long been thought to be healthy for the body and the soul. Buta new article in Healthlinedisputes this notion, with an essay provocatively entitled, “If You Want to Die Young, Move to Rural America.”
The truth is, when it comes to the five leading causes of death, rural dwellers lag behind inhabitants of America’s cities.
A new study by the CDC shows rural citizens facing a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, lower respiratory disease, stroke, and unintentional injuries than their urban counterparts. These five causes account for almost two out of every three deaths in the U.S.
When you couple these troublesome statistics with the fact that rural hospitals have been closing across America, and rural citizens lack the health care they need, you get a snowball effect of more disabilities and injuries and illnesses leading to even higher mortality rates.