Health inequalities among rural and urban population of Eastern Poland in the context of sustainable development

Abstract

The primary goals of the study were a critical analysis of the concepts associated with health from the perspective of sustainable development, and empirical analysis of health and health-related issues among the rural and urban residents of Eastern Poland in the context of the sustainable development of the region. The study was based on the following research methods: a systemic approach, selection and analysis of the literature and statistical data, developing a special questionnaire concerning socio-economic and health inequalities among the population in the studied area, field research with an interview questionnaire conducted on randomly-selected respondents (N=1,103) in randomly selected areas of the Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Podlaskie and eastern part of Mazowieckie Provinces (with the division between provincial capital cities -county capital cities -other cities -rural areas). The results of statistical surveys in the studied area with the use of chi-square test and contingence quotients indicated a correlation between the state of health and the following independent variables: age, life quality, social position and financial situation (C-Pearson's coefficient over 0,300); a statistically significant yet weak correlation was recorded for gender, household size, place of residence and amount of free time. The conducted analysis proved the existence of a huge gap between state of health of the population in urban and rural areas. In order to eliminate unfavourable differences in the state iof health among the residents of Eastern Poland, and provide equal sustainable development in urban and rural areas of the examined areas, special preventive programmes aimed at the residents of peripheral, marginalized rural areas should be implemented. In these programmes, attention should be paid to preventive measures, early diagnosis of basic civilization and social diseases, and better accessibility to medical services for the residents.

New insights into the socio-economic aspects of multiple sclerosis in a cohort of Polish patients

“…The disability pension was mainly used by the less educated respondents, those with progressive MS variants and more advanced disability, which coincides with the shorter time of their professional activity, and remains consistent with the results of authors from various regions of the world [36,37,38]. In the presented study, more frequent use of disability pension by patients living in the countryside is consistent with the available data for the Polish population, and can be closely related to the shorter time of their occupational activity [14,39].…”

“…Additionally, even within the same country, there are huge social and economic disparities between residents of rural and urban areas. In general, compared to urban residents, rural inhabitants are more likely to have a lower self-assessment of state of health conditions, less access to health services, and are more often unemployed, less educated and more likely to use social benefits [5,14,15,16,17].…”

Inequality in the Distribution of Healthcare Human Resources in Poland

“…It implies, that health is an outcome of sustainable development but simultaneously it is also a precondition of sustainable development [4]. As the World Health Organization defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity" [13].…”

“…Interaction between these three pillars, namely the economy, society, and environment, is a major determinant for achieving a healthy and sustainable society [3]. So, health is an outcome of sustainable development, but simultaneously, it is also a precondition for sustainable development [4].…”

A novel telerehabilitation with educational program for caregivers using telelecture is a feasible procedure for fall prevention in elderly people – A pilot study

“…In addition, nursing staff in rural areas cannot easily obtain the latest knowledge on rehabilitation because it can be di cult to attend medical lectures or meetings [5]. With regard to rehabilitation, medical inequality between rural and urban populations have been an object of discussion for many years [6][7][8][9]. Wakerman and Humphreys reported the health disadvantage of rural residents in Australia and noted that they experienced poorer health outcomes in comparison to urban residents [10].…”