Research led by Shannon Monnat, associate professor of sociology and Lerner Chair for Public Health Promotion in the Maxwell School was covered by several outlets including Consumer Affairs, Agri-Pulse, Sound Health and Lasting Wealth and YubaNet.com. The research led by Monnat shows that rural regions have higher mortality rates across the country than cities. The study showed that there is no singular cause for the trend, but women do tend to be at greater risk of death than men.