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09-Oct-2018
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Arch Hellen Med, 35(5), September-October 2018, 623-632 ORIGINAL PAPER Differences in health-related quality of life between urban and remote areas A. Goula,1 G. Pierrakos,1 D. Latsou,1 Α. Vathi,1 Ε. Livani,1 Μ. Xagorari,1 T. Loukas2 |
OBJECTIVE To investigate the differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people living in three different regions of Greece in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics.
METHOD The study was conducted in three regions, one urban, one consisting of islands of tourist interest (semi-urban) and one an isolated island (rural). The sample consisted of 331 adults, with whom the internationally recognized questionnaire "Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36" was administered by personal interview. The data collection lasted seven months.
RESULTS Differences were revealed in the physical and mental health of the respondents according to the region. People living in the urban region rated the dimensions of their physical health higher than those living in the semi-urban and rural regions. In the dimension of mental health, people living in the rural region scored higher than those living in the semi-urban or urban regions. Gender, level of education, marital status and income appeared to influence the scores on both the physical components and mental components scales, according to region, in contrast to the occupation of participants where variations were not detected.
CONCLUSIONS The assessment of HRQoL can provide information on health needs and identify health inequalities between regions. People living in urban, semi-urban or rural areas face different opportunities and challenges, and different environmental, economic and social issues. Socio-demographic characteristics are an important determinant of the quality of life in a region. The design of effective health policies needs to take into account the complex nature of the different regions.
Key words: Health, Inequalities, Quality of life.
