Health News
Cancer survivors from rural areas live less healthier lives than survivors from urban areas. That's the diagnosis of a study by the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., which asked a random sample of rural and urban survivors their body weight, and if they smoked, drank alcohol, and exercised.
The study found that 25 percent of rural cancer survivors smoked, compared to 16 percent from urban areas. It didn't have state-by-state figures, but Kentucky has high rates of both cancer and smoking.
Fifty-one percent of rural survivors didn't participate in any physical activities at all, compared to 39 percent for urban survivors, and 66 percent of rural survivors were obese, while 63 percent of urban ones were. Fewer rural survivors drank alcohol, a difference of 46 percent to 59 percent, and 18 percent of them were more likely to be unemployed because of health reasons, compared to 11 percent for urban survivors.
"Rural cancer survivors may not be receiving messages from their health-care providers about how important quitting smoking and being physical active are after cancer," said Kathryn E. Weaver, assistant professor of social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest Baptist. "It is concerning that we found higher rates of health-compromising behaviors among rural survivors, when we know cancer survivors who smoke, are overweight, or are inactive are at higher risk for poor outcomes, including cancer recurrence and second cancers." (Read more)
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Health News
Rural cancer survivors are less healthy than urban counterparts; 25 percent of rural cancer survivors smoke
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| A quarter of rural cancer survivors smoke. |
The study found that 25 percent of rural cancer survivors smoked, compared to 16 percent from urban areas. It didn't have state-by-state figures, but Kentucky has high rates of both cancer and smoking.
Fifty-one percent of rural survivors didn't participate in any physical activities at all, compared to 39 percent for urban survivors, and 66 percent of rural survivors were obese, while 63 percent of urban ones were. Fewer rural survivors drank alcohol, a difference of 46 percent to 59 percent, and 18 percent of them were more likely to be unemployed because of health reasons, compared to 11 percent for urban survivors.
"Rural cancer survivors may not be receiving messages from their health-care providers about how important quitting smoking and being physical active are after cancer," said Kathryn E. Weaver, assistant professor of social sciences and health policy at Wake Forest Baptist. "It is concerning that we found higher rates of health-compromising behaviors among rural survivors, when we know cancer survivors who smoke, are overweight, or are inactive are at higher risk for poor outcomes, including cancer recurrence and second cancers." (Read more)
- Older Rural Residents Are More Likely To Seek Care At Rural Hospitals, National Study Finds
Rural hospitals are more likely to serve older patients seeking hospitalization, while younger rural residents seek medical care in urban areas, says a study by the National Center for Health Statistics at the federal Centers for Disease Control....
- Rural Health Care Is A Notch Below Care In Urban Areas, But Its Costs Are Lower And Its Emergency Rooms Are Faster, Study Finds
A national study has found a narrow gap between the quality of health care in rural and urban settings, but it does recognize the "significant differences" differences between urban and rural care. The report is an update to "Rural Relevance Under Healthcare...
- Rural Children Face More Health Risks; Most Parents Say Their Kids Are Healthy
Children in rural areas face more health challenges than those in urban parts of the country, and are more likely to be poor, more vulnerable to death from injuries, and more likely to use tobacco. Rural families also have more difficulty in gaining access...
- Breast Cancer Is A Global Issue
By Deb Kirkland, RN, BSN, MPH Nurse Navigator, Herman & Walter Samuelson Breast Center at Northwest Hospital Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women around the globe. In 2002, there were 1.2 million cases globally, and over 400,000 deaths....
- Bead Therapy At The Cancer Institute
The Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute at LifeBridge Health is always looking for new ways to reach out to cancer patients, survivors and their family members. That's why we are proud to offer the Lunch and Learn program. These sessions offer...