Rural Caregivers Face Greater Health Challenges Than Urban Counterparts
TOPLINE: A new analysis reveals caregivers in rural areas experience poorer overall and physical health,and exhibit higher rates of smoking and obesity compared to those in urban settings.
STUDY DETAILS: Researchers conducted a thorough study analyzing data from a large-scale survey to pinpoint the differences in health, experiences, and demographic characteristics between caregivers living in rural versus urban environments. Participants were defined as unpaid caregivers if they regularly provided care to a friend or family member with a health condition or disability within the past 30 days. Rural status was persistent using a 2013 Urban-Rural Classification Scheme, categorizing participants based on residence in micropolitan or noncore (rural) versus metropolitan (urban) counties.
The study encompassed 44,274 unpaid caregivers – 60% of whom were women – from 47 US states, with approximately one quarter residing in rural counties. Researchers examined various aspects of caregiving, including the caregiver’s relationship to the care recipient, the duration of care provided, and the types of assistance offered with daily living activities. Caregiver well-being was evaluated through assessments of their health,health behaviors,and health-related quality of life.
KEY FINDINGS:
Obesity: Rural caregivers demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of obesity (42.9%) compared to urban caregivers (37.5%; P < .0001).
Smoking: Current smoking rates were notably higher among rural caregivers (24.2%) than their urban counterparts (15.5%; P < .0001). However, rural caregivers were less likely to engage in binge drinking (12.7% vs 15.3%; P =.003).
General health: Rural caregivers reported experiencing fair or poor general health more frequently (20.3%) than urban caregivers (17.0%; P = .0003).
Mental Health & Activity Levels: The study found no statistically significant differences in mental health or limitations in activity between rural and urban caregivers.IMPLICATIONS:
The authors emphasize the importance of these findings for rural communities, stating, “This study provides valuable insights for policymakers, enabling a better understanding of the caregiving landscape among underserved rural populations. This knowledge can inform the growth and implementation of targeted initiatives to support rural caregivers.”
SOURCE:
The research was spearheaded by Emma Kathryn Boswell, MPH, from the University of South Carolina Rural Health research Centre. The findings were published online on June 13, 2025, in The Journal of Rural Health (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jrh.70039).
STUDY LIMITATIONS:
Researchers acknowledge potential biases due to the reliance on self-reported data from the Behavioral Risk Factor surveillance System, which may be subject to recall and social desirability biases. Additionally, the cross-sectional study design prevents establishing definitive cause-and-effect relationships between caregiving and health outcomes.
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES:
The study did not receive any specific funding, and the authors reported no conflicts of interest.