Many people in rural areas find it difficult to access services which improve health such as education and child care. This is partly because of the distances and poor public transport links. Centralisation of hospital services over the last decade has also increased isolation. Older people, who may not have access to a car whatever their level of affluence, are particularly at risk. This forces rural households to use cars, which many cannot afford.
Car ownership is therefore unreliable as a measure of poverty in rural areas.
Ignorance about rural lifestyles Farmers, agricultural workers and their families are often assumed to spend most of their time working in healthy outdoor conditions, enjoying a prosperous and healthy lifestyle. As health policy makers are mostly urban dwellers, it is not surprising many hold this misconception. The myth of 'healthy farming' British farming has suffered a serious decline in income in the 1990s. BSE and the strong pound are two factors. This is having serious consequences for the mental and physical health of the farming and wider community.