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from the issue of April 1, 2004
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Ninth Rural Poll examines water, health care issues
BY VICKI MILLER, IANR NEWS SERVICE
This year’s Nebraska Rural Poll asks about water issues, health care and community leadership.
This is the ninth year University of Nebraska scientists have surveyed rural residents’ views. Questionnaires were mailed March 8 to about 7,000 randomly selected households in Nebraska’s 84 rural counties.
To track trends and changes over time, the poll each year asks core questions about community, quality of life and personal well-being, said John Allen, the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources rural sociologist who heads the poll.
Each poll also includes a few pressing public policy questions that change annually. The poll’s advisory committee, made up of representatives from rural communities, rural and agricultural organizations, policy-makers and state agencies, helps identify which topics to include.
“These are issues that tend to be in the media as well as on the minds of policy-makers and the public,” Allen said of the rotating policy questions.
Water is one of this year’s hot topics. The poll asks rural residents to prioritize a list of water uses. Questions also address water quality and quantity concerns and drought.
The poll also explores health care access, availability and costs.
“Health care is an issue for rural areas, especially access and cost,” Allen said. “We’re trying to learn how far rural people are going for services, whether they have access and insurance and whether they have trouble paying for health care.”
To learn more about what motivates people to take on community leadership roles, the poll also asks about people’s leadership experiences.
Poll results, available this summer, provide a rural perspective on policy and quality of life issues. Researchers share findings with policy-makers and community groups statewide.
Over time, results are helping researchers identify major influences on rural well-being.
“We’re look for the triggers for how to improve quality of life in rural areas,” Allen said. “We’re finding that more people are using our poll data to gain funding to change some of these indicators.”
The poll is the largest annual survey of rural Nebraskans’ opinions about quality of life and policy issues. It’s become a model for similar surveys of rural people in several states.
GO TO: ISSUE OF APRIL 1
NEWS HEADLINES FOR APRIL 1
Rosowski is at forefront of Cather studies
New tubes offer better light for less money
Questions about new NCards addressed
Lecture to address women’s rights
Ninth Rural Poll examines water, health care issues
Online Teaching Institute runs May 10 to June 16
Raffle for Museum offers unique prizes
731672S33104X
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