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Study: Country Life Riskier Than City Living
October 19, 2013
Contrary to what many believe, living in the city is far less risky than in the country, according to a study released on Tuesday that takes into account all major forms of death from injuries.
Although homicides in cities far outpace those in rural areas, overall the risk of dying from some form of accident or injury is 20 percent greater in the most rural counties of the United States than in the nation’s biggest cities.
The findings may give pause to people tempted to flee cities for the bucolic ideal of rural life, says Dr. Sage Myers, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist at the University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, whose study was published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
“As you move further and further away from cities you got less and less safe. Even going into the suburbs dropped your safety a little bit,” she said.
“It’s a little counter-intuitive,” she said.
Myers said when people think of their personal safety, they tend to think about intentionally inflicted injuries, such as being attacked or shot, but the researchers found that the risk of dying from an accidental injury is 40 percent higher in the nation’s most rural counties than in its most urban.
“It turns out unintentional injuries dwarf intentional injuries,” Myers said, and those types of injuries occur much more often in rural areas.
Part of the differences in the study may reflect reduced access to trauma centers, which are staffed with doctors who are trained to handle life-threatening injuries. And since most trauma centers are clustered near large cities, rural dwellers may be more at risk of dying from life-threatening injuries.
Car crashes, homicides
Myers and colleagues studied government data on all injury-related deaths from all 3,141 counties across the United States from 1999 to 2006. They excluded deaths caused by the 9-11 attacks, which the researchers deemed too anomalous to be counted.
Of the nearly 1.3 million deaths during the study period, the overall rate of deaths caused by accidents was 37.5 per 100,000, compared with 17 per 100,000 for homicide and suicides.
The most common causes of injury-related deaths were motor vehicle crashes, which occurred at more than twice the rate in rural areas as they did in cities. Overall, car crashes caused 27.61 deaths per 100,000 people in most rural areas and 10.58 per 100,000 in most urban areas.
That may be because people in rural areas are more prone to drive on highways at high speeds, and some studies have shown people in rural areas are less likely to comply with seatbelt and child restraint laws than are individuals in urban areas.
When the team looked at firearm-related deaths, they found no significant difference in the overall risk of death between urban counties and rural counties, but there were significant differences in the trends by age.
In rural areas, for example, children aged up to 14 and adults over 45 had the highest risk of dying from a firearm injury, but among adults aged 20 to 44, the risk of a firearm-related death was much higher in urban areas, and the risk was about the same for youths aged 15 to 19, regardless of where they lived.
The study did not look at the number of people who were injured but survived their car crashes or gunshot wounds, which might reflect whether people in urban areas simply have better access to healthcare than people in rural areas who have life-threatening injuries.
Myers said more study is needed to tease out the differences in risks between urban and rural areas, but she said such studies should be taken into account as health policy experts consider the placement of new trauma centers.
Pictured top: LifeFlight lands in the yard of a home near Walnut Hill for a rattlesnake bite victim. Pictured top inset: A driver was trapped in their vehicle in cotton field after colliding with an 1,800 pound bull in Walnut Hill. Pictured bottom inset: A shooting outside a Pensacola shopping center. Pictured below: A man is airlifted by LifeFlight following a grocery store shooting. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
[VOA]
Comments
22 Responses to “Study: Country Life Riskier Than City Living”
@ David Hue Green’s comment…It makes one wonder if there are more paranoid people per capita in the country than in the city. Still, there are probably fewer per square mile.
Regardless of the findings I will NOT ever move back into any city or close to it. I can assure you that myself and my family are far from being PARANOID. We all are equipped to take care of ourselves and will NOT hesitate. We all look out for one another and our places. Personally, I love the fact that there are fewer people per square mile. We all know who lives here and who doesn’t, which raises caution, but not hardly PARANOID by any means. You either know where you are going or you are LOST, just that simple.
Jay/Berrydale resident for country living
You can die anywhere
Make the most of your life and be happy, happy, happy!
I lived in Atmore most of my life. It’s a quiet little town, but after having lived in the Byrneville/Poplar Dell area for the last 15 or so years, I will only return to “city life” if I have NO other choice! I’m joining the majority here – I’ll take my chances in the country!
It makes one wonder if there are more paranoid people per capita in the country than in the city. Still, there are probably fewer per square mile.
If you are dead, it doesn’t all that much matter what killed you.
How you lived your life is important.
Living long but miserable is not as good as living long and happy.
Avoid accidents and live many happy years. Take a hand in your own happiness.
David for country living
rather than country dying
I’ll take the country over the city ANY day. I moved to Pace and even this area is too much city for me. I realized I would rather be an hour away from a walmart than have the convenience of it being 5 minutes away and be living right next to other people.
Raised in the city, but my heart lies in the country. There’s no comparison in my opinion. Like 429SCJ said, I too will take my chances.
I’ll take the country — and it’s “risks” — over the city — and it’s “crime” — any day! Not only did I move to the country — I moved away from the lower 48.
Living in rural Alaska means NO state income tax, NO sales tax — on anything, at anytime, and after establishing residency — you receive a PFD payment from the state oil profits averaging $1K per person. Yes, if you are a family of five — you’d get $5K.
Plus, you get to live in a beautiful area where wildlife and seafood for “self sustainability” easily exists.
I’ll stay right here and take my chances, thank you.
Some of you must have read something in this article that I cant find. Doesnt sound like anyone is trying to convince anyone to live anywhere. Just stating some facts. I loved living in the country and now I love living in the city.
don’t agree with the article. Will take country life anytime.
While our dictatorship is being set up (and after), the country is the best place to be. God says when time is up for His own. I’d rather die in the country than live in the city. I also agree with what liberty said. I’m glad that at least some are awake.
From liberty: another talking point from the globalist agenda 21 minions, to deter self sustainability for families and communities, wake up people……are you awake?
DITTO…Wake up people and educate yourselves
They are working to force us all to move to the city so they have more control over us than they already do. Research AGENDA 21
I was planning on takin a ride in the country on my motorcycle.. Now I guess I’ll just ride circles around the hospital where I’ll be safe..
I think it’s a risk worth taking in exchange for a higher degree of autonomy and self-ownership.
I read this as I was going on my daily walk down the road as I saw a hawk fly to the creek bed, waved at two neighbours passing and two other unknown humans that waved anyway…….no I’m with the rest of you risky country people. I’m not convinced to move.
another talking point from the globalist agenda 21 minions, to deter self sustainability for families and communities, wake up people……are you awake?
This might be true for city people transplanting to the country. Us folks who were born and raised in the country know how to survive and live happy in our surroundings.
I’m with everyone else, I’ll take my chances in the country.
“Country born and country bred… when I die I’ll be country dead.”
Definitely agree with everyone. We’re all going to die of something, someday. Would rather spend time between now and……………then in the country. There’s much to be said about quality of life where the loudest thing you often hear is the wind blowing thru the pines or insects buzzing in the woods. For folks who prefer country life, the concept of living elbow to elbow in town is unimaginable and its own life shortening stressor!!
I would rather live out in the country with good people and take my chances.. I went to Jacksonville for a summer and let me tell you those folks over there are nothing like people around here, To say I stuck out like a sore thumb would be an understatement. If something is going to happen it will happen no matter where you are, Only God knows if it’s your time to stay or go.
Give me country living any day, I’ll just take my chances!!!
still………Green Acres is the place for me….just give me that countryside……
I’ll take my chances.
I’ll take my chances in the suburbs and rural areas for a little peace and quiet with some fresh air to breathe, at least then I’ll statistically die happy.
That being said…I would still rather be out here in the country than in the city with the traffic, smog, gangs, and noise!