title: Rural Healthy People 2020: New Decade, Same Challenges.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The health of rural America is more important than ever to the health of the United States and the world. Rural Healthy People 2020's goal is to serve as a counterpart to Healthy People 2020, providing evidence of rural stakeholders' assessment of rural health priorities and allowing national and state rural stakeholders to reflect on and measure progress in meeting those goals. The specific aim of the Rural Healthy People 2020 national survey was to identify rural health priorities from among the Healthy People 2020's (HP2020) national priorities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rural health stakeholders (n = 1,214) responded to a nationally disseminated web survey soliciting identification of the top 10 rural health priorities from among the HP2020 priorities. Stakeholders were also asked to identify objectives within each national HP2020 priority and express concerns or additional responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rural health priorities have changed little in the last decade. Access to health care continues to be the most frequently identified rural health priority. Within this priority, emergency services, primary care, and insurance generate the most concern. A total of 926 respondents identified access as the no. 1 rural health priority, followed by, no. 2 nutrition and weight status (n = 661), no. 3 diabetes (n = 660), no. 4 mental health and mental disorders (n = 651), no. 5 substance abuse (n = 551), no. 6 heart disease and stroke (n = 550), no. 7 physical activity and health (n = 542), no. 8 older adults (n = 482), no. 9 maternal infant and child health (n = 449), and no. 10 tobacco use (n = 429).
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy & Management, Texas A&M School of Public Health, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Jane N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bolin
authors.affiliation: Florida Blue Center for Rural Health Research and Policy, Department of Behavioral Science and Social Medicine, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida.
authors.forename: Gail R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Bellamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy & Management, Texas A&M School of Public Health, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Alva O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ferdinand
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Vuong
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy & Management, Texas A&M School of Public Health, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Bita A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kash
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy & Management, Texas A&M School of Public Health, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Avery
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy & Management, Texas A&M School of Public Health, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Janet W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Helduser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000639:trends*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000639:trends*; D040361:Healthy People Programs / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000639:trends*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States
keywords: Healthy People 2020; RHP2020; Rural Healthy People 2020; access; rural disparities