Researchers and journalists have documented the challenges confronting the nation's rural communities--dwindling populations, few employment opportunities, the opioid crisis, and a lack of public investment. However, there are many rural communities that are surmounting these obstacles and helping their young people build a brighter future. The…

Background: Although rural adolescents use of alcohol is at some of the highest rates nationally, rural adolescent alcohol use has not been studied extensively. This study examines how community attitudes and behaviors are related to adolescent drinking in rural environments. Methods: Data were gathered in 22 rural communities in the Upper Midwest…

The paper addresses variations in the occupational and educational expectations of high school seniors from two geographic regions of the U.S. It gives particular emphasis to differences in the proportions with high expectations, to the relationships between those proportions and certain personal-social characteristics of the respondents, to…