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Explaining urban-rural variations in health: A review of interactions between individual and environment

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  • Verheij, Robert A.

Abstract

In order to gain insight into the relation between health and people's environment, literature published between 1985 and 1994 was gathered from several international databases. An introduction into existing theory regarding geographic disparities is presented: geographical drift and breeder hypotheses are discussed. This is followed by a critical review focusing on interaction effects of urbanicity and individual characteristics on health. This leads to two major conclusions. First, emphasis in past research has been primarily on urban constraints rather than opportunities. Positive aspects of urban living are often insufficiently appreciated. Second, positive and negative environmental aspects have an effect on health that is often dependent on individual characteristics. The extent to which the environment exerts influence on a person's health is dependent on that person's individual characteristics. These conclusions are relevant only for further developing the breeder hypothesis, however. Large scale individual based longitudinal data should be studied in order to gain more insight into the relative importance of the geographical drift hypothesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Verheij, Robert A., 1996. "Explaining urban-rural variations in health: A review of interactions between individual and environment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 923-935, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:42:y:1996:i:6:p:923-935
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    Cited by:

    1. Johnson Samuel Adari & Mashaallah Rahnama Moghadam & Charles N. Starnes, 2007. "Life expectancy of people living with HIV|AIDS and associated socioeconomic factors in Kenya," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(3), pages 357-366.
    2. Pearce, Jamie & Barnett, Ross & Jones, Irfon, 2007. "Have urban/rural inequalities in suicide in New Zealand grown during the period 1980-2001?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(8), pages 1807-1819, October.
    3. Bell, Andrew, 2014. "Life-course and cohort trajectories of mental health in the UK, 1991–2008 – A multilevel age–period–cohort analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 21-30.
    4. Alexander Karl Ferdinand Loder & Mireille Nicoline Maria van Poppel, 2019. "Sedentariness of College Students Is Negatively Associated with Perceived Neighborhood Greenness at Home, but Not at University," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-13, December.
    5. Ocaña-Riola, Ricardo & Sánchez-Cantalejo, Carmen & Fernández-Ajuria, Alberto, 2006. "Rural habitat and risk of death in small areas of Southern Spain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(5), pages 1352-1362, September.
    6. Wilma L Zijlema & Bart Klijs & Ronald P Stolk & Judith G M Rosmalen, 2015. "(Un)Healthy in the City: Respiratory, Cardiometabolic and Mental Health Associated with Urbanity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Alexander Karl Ferdinand Loder & Josef Gspurning & Christoph Paier & Mireille Nicoline Maria van Poppel, 2020. "Objective and Perceived Neighborhood Greenness of Students Differ in Their Agreement in Home and Study Environments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-12, May.
    8. Sun, Feinuo, 2022. "Rurality and opioid prescribing rates in U.S. counties from 2006 to 2018: A spatiotemporal investigation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    9. Monda, Keri L. & Gordon-Larsen, Penny & Stevens, June & Popkin, Barry M., 2007. "China's transition: The effect of rapid urbanization on adult occupational physical activity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(4), pages 858-870, February.
    10. Harriss, Louise & Hawton, Keith, 2011. "Deliberate self-harm in rural and urban regions: A comparative study of prevalence and patient characteristics," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 274-281, July.
    11. Griffith, Gareth J. & Jones, Kelvyn, 2019. "Understanding the population structure of the GHQ-12: Methodological considerations in dimensionally complex measurement outcomes," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).

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