Health related migration: evidence of reduced "urban-drift".
The aim of this study was to determine if the onset of serious disease triggers a different intra-state migratory response from patterns observed in the healthy population. The analysis was carried out using linked administrative data. The onset of serious disease triggered a reduction in the rate of endocentric migration in remote and rural populations. Urban drift occurred only in people with mental illness in rural locations. Rural and remote communities appear to suffer from an unhealthy selection force, with persons unable to migrate centrally to access services due to the onset of the physical illness they require treatment for.
Moorin
R E
RE
Centre for Health Services Research, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia. rachmoor@sph.uwa.edu.au
Holman
C D J
CD
Garfield
C
C
Brameld
K J
KJ
D002755:Choice Behavior; D002947:Cities; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014186:Transportation; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology