Since 1999, child mortality rates have declined nationally — but kids in rural America are dying at higher rates than their urban counterparts, according to a study published in Health Affairs.
For the study, researchers from the University of South Carolina in Columbia analyzed mortality data from the CDC to determine how mortality rates among rural children compared to national numbers from 1999-2017.
Among urban and rural kids, the top two causes of childhood death were the same: unintentional injury and suicide. But while death rates among urban children declined 24 percent during the period, mortality rates for rural kids lagged behind, declining 19 percent. In rural communities, non-Hispanic black infants and American Indian/Alaska Native children were particularly at risk.
"Some problems, such as distance from and response time for [emergency medical services] may be fundamentally associated with the dispersed nature of rural communities," the researchers said. "However, many of the healthcare issues surrounding children may be addressable by policy changes focusing on the leading causes of death in children: unintentional injury and suicide. Both research and advocacy are needed to bring the health of rural children to the forefront among national goals and objectives."
Access the full study here.
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