This paper is based on a small study of women resident in caravan parks. Th
e study, undertaken in the context of the Australian Longitudinal Study on
Women's Health, explored the health status and the health seeking behavior
of women living in mobile homes in two townships in north coast New South W
ales, Australia. Older women had moved to park accommodation, some with hus
bands, to escape the financial strains of maintaining larger homes on fixed
incomes. Younger women, in contrast, typically moved to the parks alone or
with children but without an adult partner, and were motivated to move fro
m more permanent housing as a result of financial hardship, domestic violen
ce, and their own or partners' drug and alcohol abuse. We had hypothesized
some differences in women's health status and health related behavior accor
ding to place of residence, because of the differences in the two townships
with respect to infrastructure and social characteristics. However, women'
s health status varied primarily according to age. Women believed they were
physically healthy, although with some dental, sexual and particularly men
tal health problems.