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Comparative Study
. 2020 Jan 7;17(2):397.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17020397.

Does "Rural" Always Mean the Same? Macrosocial Determinants of Rural Populations' Health in Poland

Paulina Ucieklak-Jeż  1 , Agnieszka Bem  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Does "Rural" Always Mean the Same? Macrosocial Determinants of Rural Populations' Health in Poland

Paulina Ucieklak-Jeż et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Rural areas, as well as urban ones, are not homogeneous in terms of social and economic conditions. Those surrounding large urban centers (suburban rural areas) act different roles than those located in remote areas. This study aims to measure the level of inequalities in social determinants of health (SDH) between two categories of rural areas. We pose the following research hypotheses: (hypothesis H1) rural areas in Poland are relatively homogenous in the context of SDH and (hypothesis H2) SDH affects life expectancies of rural residents. Based on data covering all rural territories, we found that rural areas in Poland are homogenous in SDH. We also find important determinants of health rooted in a demographic structure-the feminization index and a ratio of the working-age population. On the other hand, we cannot confirm the influence of commonly used SDH-GDP and unemployment rate.

Keywords: HHI; concentration analysis; rural health inequalities; social determinants of health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Empirical and aligned variable values (dependent variable LE(m) = 0).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Empirical and aligned variable values (dependent variable LE(f) = 0).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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