The data was collected via a survey of stakeholders in rural health nationwide from July 12, 2021, to Feb. 14, 2022, as part of an initiative from the HHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion — slated to be published in the June 2023 issue of Preventive Medicine Reports.
“The results of our study shed light on which health priorities rural stakeholders deem the most important for rural America over the next decade,” researchers wrote of the findings. “This information holds the potential to accelerate health improvements in rural areas, which have lagged behind urban areas.”
The top 20 most pressing challenges currently facing rural healthcare as identified by stakeholders include:
- Mental health and mental disorders
- Addiction
- Healthcare access and quality
- Overweight and obesity
- Drug and alcohol use
- Nutrition and healthy eating
- Older adults
- Preventative care
- Diabetes
- Economic stability
- Transportation
- Cancer
- Public health infrastructure
- Housing and homes
- Workforce
- Education access and quality
- Health insurance
- Child and adolescent development
- Hospital and emergency services
- Chronic pain
