Objective to describe health risks and provide the evidences for understanding health risks in impoverished ruxal families,based on an analysis of the health demands and utilization of families of this kind in western China.Metheds Two national-level poverty counties(districts)were selected in a typical sampling from western China.1109 rural families from 11 townships were pinpointed as investigation samples,including 559 impoverished rural families(IRFs)and 550 Non-impoverished-ruralfamilies(Non-IRFs),totaling 4024 family members.Statistieal Analysis methods include Mean and Sn for interval scaled data;nominal scales' frequency and ratio counting;Mann-Whitney U-test forinterval scaled data:Chbsquare for nominal sealed data.Results The two-week morbidity rate and chronic disease prevalence of IREs are significantly higher than those of Non-IRFs.whereas the doctorseeking behavior of the former is significantly lower in proportion than that of the latter.Conclusions As described in the dimensions of frequency.intensity and correlation,health risks of IRFS in western China feature the following:Prevalence rate and incidence rate of IRFs＞Non-IRFs,with chronic disease taken the lion's share;IRFs feature a higher expenditure/income ratio,I.e.,higher comparative intensity;correlations amonig health risks are moderate and even weak.risks;Rural areas