title: Health-related quality of life: does rurality matter?
abstract: This study addresses the question of whether six health-related quality-of-life domains are related to population density within a rural area while adjusting for the effects of demographic characteristics and social support resources. The sample consisted of 2,178 adults aged 60 years or older who resided in eastern North Carolina between 1989 and 1991. Ordinary least squares regression estimation was used to analyze this survey data. For the analyses, rural residence was broken down into five levels reflecting population density, which was compared with analyses utilizing a collapsed dichotomous residential measure. Results indicate that a more detailed residence measure within a predominantly rural area provides valuable information that would otherwise be concealed by a dichotomous measure.
authors.affiliation: West Virginia University, Center on Aging, Morgantown 26506-9127, USA.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Goins
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D011156:Population Density; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012423:Rural Health; D012944:Social Support