美国国家公共电台/RWJF/哈佛大学民意调查显示,美国农村居民对未来非常乐观,喜欢他们居住的地方
Research shows that education and jobs are linked to better opportunities for health. Rural residents believe the number of good jobs in their local community will either stay the same or increase in the next five years. When asked what would be most helpful to their local economies, rural residents identify the creation of better long-term jobs (64%), greater support for local public schools (61%), improvements in access to health care (55%), and job training and skills development (51%) as critical areas for investment.
Beyond hopes and concerns for their local economies and schools, a majority of rural residents agree opioid addiction is a serious problem in their community (57%), with about half of them personally knowing someone who has struggled with opioid addiction (49%). Almost one-quarter of rural adults (23%) say that drug addiction or abuse is the most urgent health problem currently facing their community, followed by cancer (12%) and access to care (11%).
“What has been widely recognized is the serious economic problems facing rural communities today. What has not is that drug/opioid abuse in rural communities is now viewed with the same high level of concern as economic threats,” said Robert J. Blendon, co-director of the survey and the Richard L. Menschel Professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Strong Connections to Family and Neighbors are Key
Residents value living in a rural community for a number of reasons. Most identify “closeness” and social connection, life in a small town, and “being around good people” as their community’s greatest strength. The majority of rural residents report feeling attached to their local community (81%); research has demonstrated that adults who are socially active live longer and are healthier than their more isolated peers.
- More than two-thirds (67%) of rural residents say their neighbors have helped them in times of need.
- When asked why they choose to live in their community, about one-third of rural adults say it is because of family (31%).
- Yet 43 percent of rural parents report their adult children have moved away, primarily in pursuit of long-term job opportunities.
- More than half (52%) of rural residents say they are active in solving problems in their local community, although younger adults report higher levels of participation.
“These findings elevate commonalities across rural communities in the strength of social connections, the power of civic engagement, and the dedication to improving local conditions and opportunities,” said Katrina Badger, a program officer at RWJF, who grew up in small-town Ohio. “If we, as a nation, work to empower rural communities in advancing their own solutions, all of us are going to be better off.”
Rural America: A Diversity of Views and Experiences
The findings make clear that there is no singular rural America or one rural mindset. Nearly one in five rural residents has a college or graduate degrees (19%), while half have a high school education or less. A great majority of those polled report that religion or spirituality are important to them (81%). And with respect to racial/ethnic diversity, one in six rural residents are Black or Hispanic (16%), two percent are American Indian/Alaska Native, and some five percent identify as LGBTQ.
Rural residents are divided on whether local problems will be solved in the next five years and many see a need for outside help to solve them. Among those who say outside help is needed, nearly one in three believe state government will play the greatest role (30%) and fewer than one in five look to the federal government (18%). Compared to rural adults without college degrees, those with college degrees are less optimistic about solving major community problems and see a greater need for outside help.
People living in rural America are also divided politically, with affiliations split evenly across Republican, Democrat, and Independent parties. And personal experiences of financial well-being are split by age, education level, race and ethnic background, and region of the country. For example, younger residents (ages 18-49) are more likely to say the number of good jobs in their community has increased and that their personal financial situation has improved in the past five years, compared to older residents (ages 50+).
Public health officials, local leaders, community members, and policymakers can use the poll to understand rural priorities and guide decisions to improve local health and well-being.
Methodology
The survey was conducted June 6-August 4, 2018, among a nationally representative, probability-based telephone (cell and landline) sample of 1,300 adults age 18 or older living in the rural United States. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish. The margin of error for total respondents is ±3.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The sample of Rural Americans is defined in this survey as adults living in areas that are not part of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or in MSAs with a population under 50,000. This is the definition used in the 2016 National Exit Poll.
About the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people’s lives—not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America’s oldest professional training program in public health.
About NPR
NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everyday—on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public—one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners consider public radio an enriching and enlightening companion; they trust NPR as a daily source of unbiased independent news, and inspiring insights on life and the arts. Learn more at npr.org/about or by following NPR Extra on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
" data-isabstract="false" class="cmp-text">新泽西州普林斯顿大学最近,全国对农村居民面临的挑战给予了极大的关注。今天,与主流的国家叙事相反,由美国国家公共电台、哈佛大学公共卫生学院和罗伯特·伍德·约翰逊基金会进行的一项新民意调查显示,农村居民基本上对未来持乐观态度。在很大程度上,农村居民喜欢自己居住的地方——这在很大程度上是因为他们与家人和邻居的紧密联系——他们普遍觉得自己的生活正如他们所期望的那样,如果不是更好的话。然而,这种乐观情绪因对其社区滥用药物和吸毒成瘾以及当地经济健康状况的担忧而有所减弱。
这项对1300名18岁及以上生活在美国农村的成年人的调查探讨了一系列生活领域的主题,包括几个与健康直接相关的话题,如工作、教育和经济机会。在调查结果中,70%的农村居民表示他们的健康状况良好、非常好或非常好;85%的人对自己的心理健康也有类似的反应。而86%的农村居民有医疗保险,相比之下91%在全国范围内,一半的人认为医疗保健费用是家庭财务的一个严重问题。
研究表明,教育和就业与更好的健康机会有关。农村居民认为,在未来五年内,当地社区的好工作数量要么保持不变,要么会增加。当被问及什么对当地经济最有帮助时,农村居民认为创造更好的长期就业机会(64%)、加大对当地公立学校的支持(61%)、改善获得医疗保健的机会(55%)以及职业培训和技能发展(51%)是投资的关键领域。
除了对当地经济和学校的希望和担忧之外,大多数农村居民认为阿片类药物成瘾是他们社区的一个严重问题(57%),其中约一半的人认识与阿片类药物成瘾作斗争的人(49%)。近四分之一的农村成年人(23%)表示,吸毒成瘾或滥用药物是他们社区目前面临的最紧迫的健康问题,其次是癌症(12%)和获得医疗服务(11%)。
“人们普遍认识到,今天农村社区面临着严重的经济问题。没有改变的是,现在农村社区的药物/阿片类药物滥用与经济威胁一样受到高度关注。罗伯特J.布伦登该调查的联合主任、哈佛大学陈曾熙公共卫生学院卫生政策和政治分析Richard L. Menschel教授。
与家人和邻居的紧密联系是关键
居民重视住在农村社区有很多原因。大多数人认为“亲密”和社会联系、小镇生活以及“周围都是好人”是他们社区最大的优势。大多数农村居民表示对当地社区有依恋感(81%);研究表明,积极参加社交活动的成年人比孤僻的同龄人更长寿、更健康。
- 超过三分之二(67%)的农村居民表示,他们的邻居在需要的时候帮助过他们。
- 当被问及为什么选择住在他们的社区时,大约三分之一的农村成年人说这是因为家庭(31%)。
- 然而,43%的农村父母表示,他们的成年子女已经离开家乡,主要是为了寻找长期的工作机会。
- 超过一半(52%)的农村居民表示,他们积极参与解决当地社区的问题,尽管年轻人的参与度更高。
RWJF的项目官员卡特里娜·巴杰(Katrina Badger)在俄亥俄州的一个小镇长大,她说:“这些发现提高了农村社区在社会联系的强度、公民参与的力量以及对改善当地条件和机会的奉献精神方面的共性。”“如果我们作为一个国家,努力让农村社区有能力推进他们自己的解决方案,我们所有人都会变得更好。”
美国农村:观点和经验的多样性
研究结果清楚地表明,没有单一的美国农村或一种农村心态。近五分之一的农村居民拥有大学或研究生学位(19%),一半的农村居民只有高中或更低的学历。绝大多数受访者表示,宗教或灵性对他们很重要(81%)。在种族/民族多样性方面,六分之一的农村居民是黑人或西班牙裔(16%),2%是美国印第安人/阿拉斯加原住民,约5%是LGBTQ。
农村居民对当地问题能否在未来五年内得到解决存在分歧,许多人认为需要外部帮助来解决这些问题。在那些认为需要外界帮助的人中,近三分之一的人认为州政府将发挥最大作用(30%),不到五分之一的人认为联邦政府将发挥最大作用(18%)。与没有大学学历的农村成年人相比,那些有大学学历的人对解决重大社区问题不太乐观,认为更需要外界的帮助。
生活在美国农村地区的人们在政治上也存在分歧,他们在共和党、民主党和独立党派之间的隶属关系各占一半。个人的财务状况因年龄、教育水平、种族和民族背景以及国家地区而异。例如,与年龄较大的居民(50岁以上)相比,年轻的居民(18-49岁)更有可能说他们社区的好工作数量增加了,他们的个人财务状况在过去五年中有所改善。
公共卫生官员、地方领导人、社区成员和政策制定者可以利用民意调查来了解农村的优先事项,并指导决策,以改善当地的健康和福祉。
方法
该调查于2018年6月6日至8月4日在具有全国代表性的基于概率的电话(手机和固定电话)样本中进行,调查对象是居住在美国农村的1300名18岁或以上的成年人。采访以英语和西班牙语进行。在95%的置信水平上,所有受访者的误差幅度为±3.6个百分点。在本次调查中,农村美国人的样本被定义为居住在不属于大都会统计区(MSA)或人口低于5万的大都会统计区(MSA)的地区的成年人。这是2016年全国出口民调中使用的定义。
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哈佛陈曾熙公共卫生学院汇集了来自许多学科的专业专家,以教育新一代的全球卫生领导者,并提出强有力的想法,改善世界各地人民的生活和健康。作为一个由顶尖科学家、教育工作者和学生组成的社区,我们共同努力,将创新理念从实验室带到人们的生活中——不仅取得科学突破,而且努力改变个人行为、公共政策和医疗保健实践。每年,哈佛大学陈学院的400多名教职员工教授来自世界各地的1000多名全日制学生,并通过在线和高管教育课程培训数千名学生。该学院成立于1913年,前身是哈佛-麻省理工学院卫生官员学院,被公认为美国最古老的公共卫生专业培训项目。
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关于罗伯特伍德约翰逊基金会
40多年来,罗伯特·伍德·约翰逊基金会一直致力于改善所有美国人的健康和医疗保健。我们正在努力建立一种健康的国家文化,使所有美国人现在和后代都能活得更长、更健康。欲了解更多信息,请www.ottomotal.com。在Twitter上关注基金会twitter.com/rwjf或者在Facebook上facebook.com/RobertWoodJohnsonFoundation。
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