ABSTRACT
In the United States, the health and habits of nearly 60 million people are greatly influenced by rural context and culture where they live, travel, learn, work, and play. Compared with their urban counterparts, rural populations experience higher rates of chronic disease. One of the challenges facing an examination of health and physical activity in rural populations is how to define and appropriate the notion of rurality. Rural minority populations include Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans, although more than half of all Native Americans reside in rural areas. Compared with their urban counterparts, rural populations experience higher rates of chronic and preventable disease and injury, tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor diet, and less access to preventative and health service. Understanding the influence of intersectionality and social determinants of health provides lens through which physical activity influences in rural populations and evidence-based strategies for promoting physical activity among this population are examined and understood as culturally and contextually appropriate.
