Are cities safer than rural areas?

Washington – City residents have a lower risk of injury death than their rural counterparts, according to a study from the University of Pennsylvania.

Researchers analyzed nearly 1.3 million injury deaths from 1999 to 2006 and found the risk of death was 22 percent higher in rural areas, according to a press release from the American College of Emergency Physicians, which published the study.

In both rural and urban areas, motor vehicle crashes accounted for the most deaths – 27.61 per 100,000 people in rural areas and 10.58 in cities.

Researchers found that people in cities face a higher risk of homicide, but the risk of unintentional injury was significantly higher in rural areas, suggesting that those areas need more staffing in trauma departments.

The study was published online July 23 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.