No abstract

The paper investigates what are the most important factors in fostering growth in rural, remote regions with historically low growth rates. In particular, we focus on the lagging Appalachian region and compare it to both nearby counties and other similarly lagging U.S. counties. Factors such as self‐employment, human capital, creativity, university spillovers and high‐technology clusters are considered. Our results suggest that entrepreneurship and creativity factors are key to increasing growth in the Appalachian region and in similar lagging regions nationally. However, there is little evidence that other knowledge‐based factors are conducive to growth in these regions.

Because support for entrepreneurship is often a core part of economic development strategies, we investigate whether it is important for growth in lagging, rural U.S. regions by focusing on Appalachia. While entrepreneurship has the advantage of being endogenous and "home grown," previous research suggests that remote rural regions may lack the agglomeration economies to benefit greatly from entrepreneurship. Using county-level data, we explore the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth, employing self-employment and small business data as proxies for entrepreneurship. We look at the results for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) region, using its immediate Appalachian neighbors outside the ARC region as a control group. Moreover, we also account for self-sorting by proprietors to locate in expanding regions. Despite strong barriers to growth in Appalachia, our empirical results suggest that self-employment is positively associated with employment and income growth, and that efforts to promote entrepreneurial capacity may be among the few economic development strategies with positive payoffs in remote regions.

We evaluated a community-based physical activity intervention in Georgia senior centers. Participants were a convenience sample that completed the pre-test only (n = 592), or the pre-test, the intervention, and a post-test (n = 418, 98% aged 60 and older, mean age = 75, 83% female, 56% black). The 4-month physical activity intervention, based on the Health Belief Model, included 16 sessions that focused on educator-led chair exercises, promotion of walking, using a pedometer, and recording daily steps. Pre- and post-tests assessed physical activity and physical function, categorized as poor, moderate, or good (Short Physical Performance Battery). Following the intervention, participants improved their physical function (good physical function at pre-test vs. post-test: 16.5% vs. 25.3%, P < or = 0.001), increased minutes of physical activity by 26% (P < or = 0.001) and step counts by 29% (P < or = 0.0001, sub-sample, n = 95), and decreased reports of "it's not safe" as a barrier to physical activity (P < or = 0.05). Increased physical activity (P < or = 0.01) was associated with improved physical function following the intervention. The results of this evaluation provide an evidence base for the effectiveness of this community intervention for improving physical activity and physical function in older adults.

To set the stage for future research aimed at developing public policies that support economic prosperity in rural areas, we review the current economic conditions of rural America and the current literature. Rural America is often characterized as a uniform, distressed place where agriculture dominates. In fact, rural America is diverse, with many regions doing well economically. In some areas, labor‐saving technologies have reduced the workforce in manufacturing and resource‐dependent industries. However, integration with urban areas has weakened the economic divide between urban and some rural areas, while natural amenities have boosted the fortunes of others. There is also evidence that homegrown enterprises can support growth even in the most remote, distressed regions. To support economic growth, policies should recognize the unique features of each place or region and balance the farm sector with the larger nonfarm rural economy. Economists are well‐positioned to provide research‐based evidence of what works, as well as rigorous evaluation of new polices.