The Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau is hosting a webinar, or DataSpeak program, on the health status of children and youth in rural areas of the country. This webinar will discuss the following issues:

• Rural children, compared to their urban counterparts, are more likely to live in poverty and suffer related health disparities, such as the increased likelihood of being overweight or obese, among others.
• Both infant mortality and death rates for children and young adults are highest in most rural counties.
• Rural residents are more likely to lack health insurance and less likely to have access to physicians, dentists, and other health care providers.
• Minority and socially disadvantaged populations in rural areas often experience additional disparities in health care access and utilization.