Using a stratified random sample of 12 of Ohio's 88 counties, this 1967 study had as its objectives (1) to measure the level of participation in selected health practices by Ohio's rural residents, (2) to compare the level of participation in selected health practices of farm and rural nonfarm residents, and (3) to examine levels of participation in selected health practices by age, sex, educational attainment, and family size. Dental checkups had the highest level of participation of 5 preventive health measures studied. A total of 30.2% of the respondents had received an x-ray or TB test in the previous 2 years, 1 out of 4 rural people had received tetanus shots in the previous 3 years, 12.6% of the respondents were immunized against measles, and 38% of rural residents had had a complete physical checkup during the previous 2 years. Rural nonfarm families had a higher participation level than farm families in all of the health practices studied with the exception of dental checkups. It was concluded that use of preventive health measures could be increased by improving the accessibility of medical personnel and health facilities in rural areas and by increasing the intensity of educational programs to cause rural people to place a higher priority on preventive health practices. (JH)