Does living in rural communities rather than cities really make a difference in people's health and wellness?

The purpose of the present study has therefore been to describe and illustrate more completely and systematically the health of the people who live in the small, chiefly rural communities of Quebec, and the environment in which they live. [...] Impact of health care services But do these differences in the delivery of services and the availability of resources have an impact on the health of the population, in general? [...] To the extent that the industrialized countries are trying to guarantee all their citizens a certain degree of equity in health and health care, the health of people living in rural areas is thus a subject of major interest. [...] In its discussion of its goal of “[translation] ensuring the quality of life in rural communities and making them more attractive” (ibid., p. 41), this policy states that: “[translation] The health and social services ministry will take the specific needs of rural areas into account in its objectives, policies, and programs, in its planning, and in the organization of services throughout Quebec.” [...] As the report of the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (the Romanow Commission) states: People in rural communities also have the added burden of paying for the high costs of travel in order to access the care they need.