The Intergenerational Cycles of Rural Health
Year: 2020
Type: editorial
Abstract: MESSAGES FROM THE FIELD In the process of establishing the new Center for Rural Health Research at East Tennessee State University, I spoke with about 100 rural health leaders-ranging from the presidents and CEOs of national professional organizations to elected officials, state-level leaders, and front-line workers What is clear from Beatty et al 's review (p 1293) of funding challenges facing rural health departments, from DuPre et al 's review (p 1332) of the interrelationship ofone epidemic (opioid addiction) with another (hepatitis A), and Kozhimannil et al 's study (p 1315) of obstetric services in rural hospitals, is that many parts of rural America are seeing a slow downward spiral, where, incrementally and over time, a variety of factors are combining to further erode the fragile health status of rural Americans, especially for those living in the poorest and most isolated areas In parts of the country with higher rates of poverty and lower educational achievement, there are already higher levels of smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and other negative health behaviors, compared with wealthier parts of the country 2 Children of parents who smoke are more likely to become smokers 3 Children of parents who are obese are more likely to be obese 4 Over the generations, this cycle results in many rural Americans engaging in poorer health habits than their nonrural counterparts 4
Author: Randy Wykoff
Institution: East Tennessee State University
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3048720095