The meaning of health and well-being: voices from older rural women

Abstract

The impact of geographical location on the maintenance of older rural women's health and well-being has been largely unexamined in the research literature. Contextual explanations of environmental impact on health status have been traditionally been assigned to a narrow picture of rural life which emphasized occupational health at the expense of sociological aspects. There have been many research programs about ageing Australian people in urban areas but few concerning the older rural population. Few clues can be found as to how their needs and expectations may differ from those of their urban counterparts. The size of Australia's older population is increasing and steadily becoming feminised. Approximately 37% of these older women live outside capital cities in rural and remote areas. For those planning services for this group of older women, the influence of the rural and remote social and physical context on health and well-being must be understood and considered. Data were collected in 2001 for this qualitative study from the five old (78-88 years), widowed rural women participants who had lived most of their lives on farms, by in-depth interviewing regarding life history, and by using personal document strategies. The life history research approach guided data collection, while thematic analysis was employed to avoid examining isolated themes. Social constructionism and socio-environmental theory of gerontology provided the philosophical boundaries to the central research question. While each informant's life history was unique, it was found that the informants' health and well-being were profoundly influenced by the geographical location of living on the land. This small study, which should be extended by a larger study, may be seen as a beginning step in defining health promotional activities, policy development and service programs for older rural women that are both person-centered and sensitive to their unique lifestyle.