Rural deprivation: reflecting reality

In the United Kingdom (UK) there is currently an upsurge of interest in rur al affairs. This brings the potential to address some of the gaps in rural health care research. The appropriate description and measurement of rural deprivation is one area consistently identified by UK rural practitioners a nd policymakers as urgently requiring evidence. Appropriate identification and measurement of deprivation within a rural context is important so that primary care resources can be targeted at those with greatest need. It is b elieved that current measures of deprivation are inappropriate for rural se ttings, but relationships between life circumstances and health are only be ginning to be addressed by empirical research. In this paper we propose an approach to researching rural deprivation. it is important to be clear abou t definitions of rurality and deprivation and about the purpose of measurem ent. The requirement to test a range of indicators for their association wi th health status and health care need in rural areas and to gather more loc ally relevant darn within primary care settings is highlighted. The relevan ce, for primary care, of exploring rural deprivation is suggested, along wi th ideas about a way forward in generating knowledge that can help to chara cterise and measure rural deprivation in a more sensitive manner.