The reason for lowered rural life expectancies? Lack of healthcare access

Census data shows the life expectancy rate for rural Americans has dropped over time and is now less than that in urban areas. It is something the National Rural Health Association has been studying and says there is one major reason for the switch.

“Lack of access to healthcare, first and foremost, and if you can’t get to your doctor for preventive care or a checkup, you wait until things get really bad, and then you go into the emergency room. Environmental issues. You know, for our ranchers and farmers, that’s a tough, difficult profession to be in by itself. Then you get into lifestyle choices, a lot of processed fast food, which is easy to get and cost less, well that impacts your health. And then on top of that, you just have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and cancer across the board,” said Alan Morgan.

The 2022 Census of Ag showed around 60 percent of farmers received healthcare in the past year.

Related Stories
Market analyst Kevin Huddleston said news of trade deals could rebound cotton prices in late fall, and producers need to be ready to strike deals.
Texas A&M 4-H Director Montza Williams joins for an update on the expected timeline for the program’s new facility and all the associated benefits.
Shaun Haney, host of RealAg Radio, joined us to break down the latest data on Canadian farmland values and share insights on how it impacts producers.
Key signs of the U.S. beef herd’s recovery are improved pasture conditions, lower feed costs, and increased regulatory alignment and support for producers to implement targeted grazing practices.
Dr. Mark Svoboda with the National Drought Mitigation Center discusses a new global drought report and resources to help operations increase drought resilience.