Health-related quality of life: Does rurality matter?

This study addresses the question of whether six health-related quality-of- life domains are related to population density within a rural area while ad justing for the effects of demographic characteristics and social support r esources. The sample consisted of 2,178 adults aged 60 years or older mho r esided in eastern North Carolina between 1989 and 1991. Ordinary least squa res regression estimation tugs used to analyze this survey data. For the an alyses, rural residence was broken down into five levels reflecting populat ion density, which was compared with analyses utilizing a collapsed dichoto mous residential measure. Results indicate that a mole detailed residence m easure within a predominantly rural area provides valuable information that would otherwise be concealed by a dichotomous measure.