Aging in Rural Communities

Abstract

Purpose of Review Population aging is occurring worldwide, particularly in developed countries such as the United States (US). However, in the US, the population is aging more rapidly in rural areas than in urban areas. Healthy aging in rural areas presents unique challenges. Understanding and addressing those challenges is essential to ensure healthy aging and promote health equity across the lifespan and all geographies. This review aims to present findings and evaluate recent literature (2019)(2020)(2021)(2022) on rural aging and highlight future directions and opportunities to improve population health in rural communities. Recent FindingsThe review first addresses several methodological considerations in measuring rurality, including the choice of measure used, the composition of each measure, and the limitations and drawbacks of each measure. Next, the review considers important concepts and context when describing what it means to be rural, including social, cultural, economic, and environmental conditions. The review assesses several key epidemiologic studies addressing rural-urban differences in population health among older adults. Health and social services in rural areas are then discussed in the context of healthy aging in rural areas. Racial and ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, and informal caregivers are considered as special populations in the discussion of rural older adults and healthy aging. Lastly, the review provides evidence to support critical longitudinal, place-based research to promote healthy aging across the rural-urban divide is highlighted. Summary Policies, programs, and interventions to reduce rural-urban differences in population health and to promote health equity and healthy aging necessitate a context-specific approach. Considering the cultural context and root causes of rural-urban differences in population health and healthy aging is essential to support the real-world effectiveness of such programs, policies, and interventions.

Cointegrations in house price dynamics and ageing population risks

“…A more perplexing issue that has seen much less attention in the literature is that rural house prices have been increasing despite their populations age rapidly [ 24 – 26 ] (Cohen and Greaney, 2023; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Area UK, 2018a, b). In fact for the last two decades, rural house prices of “super-aged” economies such as Japan, Italy, South Korea, and China are far from decreasing [ 27 ].…”

Reduction in all-cause medical and caregiving costs through innovative health awareness projects in a rural area in Japan: a retrospective cohort study

“…Health conditions vary among communities, and are associated with differences in income, health behaviours, supplies of healthcare resources, education levels, local government expenditures, and local area characteristics [ 1 – 3 ]. Furthermore, rural communities sometimes face more serious health conditions leading to high mortality rates owing to older and/or low-income residents [ 4 – 6 ], which may contribute to both an increase in the healthcare burden and financial stress. The weaker financial base in smaller local governments hinders their ability to implement long-term community-based measures.…”

Strengthening or Weakening: The Impact of an Aging Rural Workforce on Agricultural Economic Resilience in China

“…Moreover, population aging leads to a decrease in the size of the working-age population and a decline in the labor participation rate, which directly affects the future labor shortage and aging, thus affecting the economic and social development of the country [4,5]. As a labor-intensive industry, agriculture is one of the sectors most affected by population aging [6,7]. Faced with increasingly complex external risks and the inherent vulnerability of agriculture, the impact of uncertainty on the development of China's agricultural economy has significantly intensified [8,9], and China's agricultural economic resilience has been greatly challenged.…”