Released: Feb. 21, 2017
Rural Americans at higher risk of death from five leading causes than urban dwellers
Programs available locally to help prevent challenges such as heart disease and diabetes.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that rural Americans are at a higher risk of dying from five major causes than those living in urban areas. The potentially preventable causes were: heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke. The top five causes of death across the state of Kansas are the same, but in a slightly different order: cancer, heart disease, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke and unintentional injuries.
“We have seen increasing rural-urban disparities in life expectancy and mortality emerge in the past few years,” said Jim Macrae, acting administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration in an announcement when the study was released. “CDC’s focus on these critical rural health issues comes at an important time.”
This latest study adds to considerable evidence that links poor health to low income, low educational attainment and poverty, which is higher in rural areas, according to Gayle Price, K-State Research and Extension family and consumer specialist.
“The poverty rate in rural Kansas is 15.1 percent compared to 13.1 percent in urban areas of the state,” she said, citing the Rural Health Information Hub. “Over 12 percent of the rural population has not completed high school compared to 8 percent of the population in urban Kansas. The average income per capita in rural Kansas was around $4,400 less than the state average.”
More than 900,000 Kansans call 89 rural counties home. That is more than 30 percent of the state’s population. Many factors, including demographic, environmental, economic and social factors put rural residents at risk. Residents in rural areas are often older and sicker. They also have higher rates of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure and obesity. They report having less leisure time, higher rates of poverty, less access to health care services and are less likely to have health insurance.
Price said, however, that there are more health inequalities experienced by rural residents than just poverty. They include getting an education, access to safe housing, foods that are both healthy and affordable and affordable transportation. The lack of affordable transportation could contribute to other issues such as access to employment and health services.
But help is available in every Kansas county: K-State Research and Extension has a network of trained professionals across the state whose job is to help residents connect to services and education that can help improve their lives.
“Local extension offices provide extension agents who are available to support individuals, families and communities as they address challenging issues around health,” Price said. “These examples may include workshops, training, educational sessions on a variety of health topics, working within a community to increase access to healthy foods, helping to promote and create healthier environments, community or school gardens or improve access to safe spaces so people are encouraged to be more physically active.”
Among the programs offered through K-State Research and Extension:
- Walk Kansas is a team-based program with a goal of getting participants more active. The program also encourages participants to manage stress better and eat healthier. In 2016 more than 14,000 people participated in Walk Kansas. Ninety percent of participants were confident they would continue walking six months after the program. (http://www.walkkansas.org/)
- SNAP-Ed Nutrition is a program for those who are eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance. More than 37,000 people have participated in the program, which provides nutrition education to Kansans who receive food assistance. The program has saved an estimated $27 million in future health costs. (https://www.he.k-state.edu/fnp/)
- tay Strong Stay Healthy is a relatively new strength-training program for older adults. One of its main goals is to prevent falls. More than 400 people have benefited from the program. (https://www.k-state.edu/staystrong/)
Extension agents also offer help through farmers’ markets, local food access efforts, regional aging expos, the Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) and Dining with Diabetes programs.
For more information, visit the local K-State Research and Extension county or district office or these websites: www.cdc.gov/mmwr, www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth or www.ksre.k-state.edu/humannutrition/ .
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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.
Story by: Connor Orrock
K-State Research and Extension
cworrock@ksu.edu
For more information:
Gayle Price, gprice@ksu.edu or 620-421-4826
