“Contrary to popular belief, cities do happen to be the safest place you can live,” lead study author Dr. Sage Myers, a pediatrician and researcher at Penn, told NBC News.
What did the study find?
Researchers analyzed 1.3 million injury deaths in more than 3,000 counties across the nation from 1999 through 2006. The results, which were published in The Annals of Emergency Medicine, show injury deaths are more frequent in the country.
Rural residents are more than 20 percent more likely to be injured than those living in the city. The most common causes of injury in the country areas were car crashes and gunshots. The more rural the area, the more likely these accidents occurred. In the cities, a person is more likely to deal with poisoning or fall-rated injury. The risk of homicide was higher in urban areas.
Will safety concerns dictate a person’s location?
Researchers say some people do investigate safety concerns before moving. Some parents, for example, are more prone to move to the country to offer their children a safer childhood.
Researchers say they hope the study sheds some light on the misconceptions of city life.
“I hope that people begin to challenge the beliefs they hold about safety,” Myers, tells the NY Times. “If you consider safety as your overall risk of injury, cities are the safest place.”
What do you think?
What do you think about these findings? What elements do you consider when looking into the safety of an area? Tell us in the comment section below. As always, we welcome your comments.
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