The Health and Economic Concerns of Rural Americans

What do rural Americans say are the biggest problems in their local communities? A new poll finds that drug/opioid abuse and economic concerns are the top challenges. When it comes to drug addiction and abuse, a majority of rural Americans say opioid addiction is a serious problem in their community. On economic issues, rural Americans largely hold negative views of their local economy, but nearly one-third have seen economic progress in recent years. What may help? A majority of rural Americans believe outside help will be necessary to solve major community problems in the future, and many believe government will play an important role. Convened shortly before National Rural Health Day and after the nation’s midterm elections, a panel of experts explored the public health and policy implications of these findings within the broader context of life in rural America. This Forum event was presented jointly with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NPR on November 9, 2018. Watch the entire series: https://theforum.sph.harvard.edu/