Public Health Local and Global Perspectives

The health needs and experiences of rural residents are diverse. While common themes, such as limitation of access to health services are easily identified, also relevant is the diversity related to the geographic, social, economic and environmental factors that mould the character of a community. Rural people have poorer health outcomes, poorer health behaviours, and are more likely to experience the social determinants of health, particularly lower incomes, level of education and a higher proportion of First Nations’ populations (AIHW, 2019; Wakerman et al., 2017). This chapter employs a conceptual framework to assist in describing the complexity of rural health outcomes. The framework proposes that the interrelationships of six concepts can be used to interpret issues and scenarios in rural and remote health. These concepts are: geographical isolation, the rural locale and the social interactions of people in the local area, local health responses, broader health systems, broader social systems, and power relations. This chapter explores each of the six concepts in the framework to understand how public health measures at all levels can contribute to rural health outcomes.