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Health Status and Health
Care Access of Farm and Rural Populations—Rural
residents have higher rates of age-adjusted mortality,
disability, and chronic disease than their urban counterparts,
though mortality and disability rates vary more by region
than by metro status. Contributing negatively to the health
status of rural residents are their lower socioeconomic
status, higher incidence of both smoking and obesity,
and lower levels of physical activity. Contributing negatively
to the health status of farmers are the high risks from
workplace hazards, which also affect other members of
farm families who live on the premises and often share
in the work; contributing positively are farmers’
higher socioeconomic status, lower incidence of smoking,
and more active lifestyle. Both farm and rural populations
experience lower access to health care along the dimensions
of affordability, proximity, and quality, compared with
their nonfarm and urban counterparts.
Food
Stamp and Family Assistance Benefits Sharply Decline in
the Post-Welfare-Reform Era —Influenced
by a robust economy, growth rates in overall per capita
transfers slowed to 2-3 percent annually in metro and
nonmetro areas between 1994 and 1997. Per capita food
stamp benefits declined more rapidly in metro areas, while
benefits for family assistance declined more rapidly in
nonmetro areas.
Rural
Dimensions of Welfare Reform—The Personal Responsibility
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) dramatically
altered the social safety net for poor Americans. But
there is reason to believe that welfare reform outcomes
may be different for many of the 7.5 million people living
in poverty in rural areas. This book presents the first
comprehensive analysis of PRWORA's impact on caseloads,
employment, earnings, and food assistance in rural areas.
It is the result of a conference—held in May of 2000—that
was jointly sponsored by the Economic Research Service,
the Joint Center for Poverty Research, and the Rural Policy
Research Institute, and funded by ERS's Food and Nutrition
Research Program (FANRP). More information is available
at W.E.
Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
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