Racial-ethnic gaps in self-rated health among rural residents

A new article published in the Journal of Community Health explores differences in self-rated health among rural residents by race and ethnicity. Using data from the 2011-2017 National Health Interview Survey, the researchers examined self-reported health by race/ethnicity and other socio-demographic characteristics such as educational attainment and marital status. Black and American Indian (Indigenous) rural residents were found to report significantly worse health than white counterparts. That is, 25.8 percent of Black rural residents and 20.8 percent of American Indian rural residents reported having fair or poor health, compared to only 14.8 percent of white rural residents. These findings highlight the importance of recognizing that rural spaces are not exempt from health disparities that stem from structural racism. #racialequity #rural