IN THIS LESSON

For this objective, you will consider geographical isolation and its impact on rural society, demographics, health disparities, and inequities and how these impact population health.

GEOGRAPHICAL ISOLATION

Geographical isolation describes factors that might serve as barriers to addressing the health needs of communities. For rural communities, these barriers are often related to transportation, finances, infrastructure (technology, etc.), and cultural or individual characteristics such as cognitive capacity.

Factors that impact Geographical Isolation include:

  • Individuals who have limited access to transportation.

  • Individuals who have mobility impairments.

  • Individuals who have limited knowledge of or access to services in the community.

  • Individuals who have limited vision, auditory or cognitive abilities.

  • Individuals living significant distances from others.

RURAL SOCIETY

Communities make up rural society and these communities are based on social and spatial relations between and amongst individuals. Community and those in the community are intertwined through history, culture, family ties, economics, geographical location/place, weather, and climate change and are reliant on one another, having similar values and beliefs.

DEMOGRAPHICS

To work with communities, it is imperative to understand who the community is. Demographics provide information about the community. Health care workers are more often concerned with social demographics or social determinants as a way of working with communities to address their needs.

HEALTH DISPARITIES AND INEQUITIES

Health disparities and inequities are often used interchangeably; however, they do not mean the same things. Health disparities refer to differences between individuals or populations. For instance, care access in rural areas is disparate or different from those in urban areas. However, care access in rural areas can also be viewed as an inequity. Health disparities are those differences which may be linked to demographics or social determinants of health. Health equity means that all individuals have access to the best possible care regardless of demographics or social determinants of health. An inequity exists when that is not the case.

HEALTH DISPARITIES AND INEQUITIES

Health disparities and inequities are often used interchangeably; however, they do not mean the same things. Health disparities refer to differences between individuals or populations. For instance, care access in rural areas is disparate or different from those in urban areas. However, care access in rural areas can also be viewed as an inequity. Health disparities are those differences which may be linked to demographics or social determinants of health. Health equity means that all individuals have access to the best possible care regardless of demographics or social determinants of health. An inequity exists when that is not the case.

Measuring Health Inequalities: This video provides an overview of health inequities, discussing what they are and how to determine the existence of inequities in a community.

Now that you have considered community health inequities, consider how that might look in a rural community. The Rural Health Information Hub created the graphic to the right to prompt consideration of social determinants of health from a rural lens.

This infographic from the Hartman group provides an overview of rural encounters or in other words, a ‘snapshot’ of the characteristics which impact rural dwellers. This will be discussed in more detail later in the module.

  • The term population health describes an approach to health that intends to improve the health of an entire population versus focusing on individuals. Vaccination campaigns would be considered population health efforts, reflect back to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This video introduces Population Health.