Healthy People is a national initiative led by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion that sets measurable objectives to improve the health and wellbeing of people nationwide. Concurrent with the launch of Healthy People each decade, the Southwest Rural Health Research Center has released a compendium, Rural Healthy People, which focuses on Healthy People objectives in the context of rural America. Compared to their urban counterparts, rural Americans have a steeper hill to climb in achieving Healthy People objectives. A rural stakeholder survey was used to identify the most important Healthy People 2030 objectives for rural America. This project helped guide our understanding of rural health over the next decade by identifying the issues that rural stakeholders across the U.S. see as most important. By tracking the changing priorities of rural stakeholders over time, we gained a decades-long perspective on how rural priorities have evolved, which can help to guide future rural-focused policymaking and investment in rural America.

Publications

• Rural Healthy People 2030: Common Challenges, Rural Nuances
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2023
  This study analyzes the most important Healthy People 2030 priorities for rural America. Data collected from a survey found mental health, substance use, health care access, and economic stability were among the most important priorities. This information could be used to accelerate health improvements in rural America.
• Rural Healthy People 2030: New Decade, New Challenges
  Journal Article
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 03/2023
  This study reports the findings of Rural Healthy People 2030, a companion piece to the Healthy People 2030 initiative with a focus on health priorities of rural populations. Data was collected from a survey given to rural stakeholders. Mental health, substance use, health care access, and economic stability were among the most important priorities.