Rural poverty, health and food access

Using US non-metropolitan county data we test if food access contributes to the well-established poverty and poor health relationship. Our analysis confirms the poverty and poor health relationship and that access to healthier food is associated with better public health outcomes in rural counties. There is mixed evidence that the poverty and poor health relationship is stronger in rural areas with limited food access. Access to healthier foods could diminish the poverty and poor health relationship, but one must take a regional perspective when thinking about rural communities and public health.