How Does Remoteness and Rurality Impact the Factors of Ageing Well?
Tracks
Bluewater I - In-Person
| Thursday, November 7, 2024 |
| 1:30 PM - 1:50 PM |
| Bluewater I |
Overview
Peach Robb, Charles Sturt University
Presenter
Peach Robb
Researcher
Charles Sturt University
How Does Remoteness and Rurality Impact the Factors of Ageing Well?
Abstract
As the population ages, it is necessary to understand how best to enhance and positively impact healthy ageing.
Those living in regional and rural communities in Australia have lower life expectancy and poorer health than their metropolitan peers.
However, the health outcomes for those in various regions can vary significantly. The aim of the research is to investigate the impact of living in a rural community on the individual well-being of people as they get older. This presentation will explore the notion of place and how remoteness and socioeconomic disadvantage differ across regions, exemplifying the need for more targeted and evidence-based research. Levels of remoteness are often treated homogenously where as access to healthcare, and factors of healthy ageing could be very different.
In the mid-2000s, the 45 and Up study was established to address the ageing population in Australia. There have been three waves thus far with the most recent wave capturing 45,166 rural and regional residents out of a total of more than 76,000. To date, very few of the published analyses of the study have addressed overall factors of ageing well, and fewer still have made use of the oversampling of regional and remote participants. None of the existing studies have explored the data with specific regard to how remoteness and socioeconomic disadvantage can impact access to healthcare and healthy ageing.
The proposed presentation will explore definitions of healthy ageing and the information gathered by the ongoing 45 and Up Study. It will share existing definitions of remoteness while exemplifying why the need to examine how place, geography and socioeconomic disadvantage could impact healthy ageing and how Peach plans to examine this in her research.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Understanding the conflicting nature of wellbeing and healthy ageing research and the need for clarity in definitions.
2. Understanding the heteregenous nature of place and remoteness analysis to date and the need for more targeted research.
3. Understanding the value of the 45 and Up Study and its underutilisation in this space - the potential for the study to help us understand the impact of remoteness on healthy ageing overall.
Those living in regional and rural communities in Australia have lower life expectancy and poorer health than their metropolitan peers.
However, the health outcomes for those in various regions can vary significantly. The aim of the research is to investigate the impact of living in a rural community on the individual well-being of people as they get older. This presentation will explore the notion of place and how remoteness and socioeconomic disadvantage differ across regions, exemplifying the need for more targeted and evidence-based research. Levels of remoteness are often treated homogenously where as access to healthcare, and factors of healthy ageing could be very different.
In the mid-2000s, the 45 and Up study was established to address the ageing population in Australia. There have been three waves thus far with the most recent wave capturing 45,166 rural and regional residents out of a total of more than 76,000. To date, very few of the published analyses of the study have addressed overall factors of ageing well, and fewer still have made use of the oversampling of regional and remote participants. None of the existing studies have explored the data with specific regard to how remoteness and socioeconomic disadvantage can impact access to healthcare and healthy ageing.
The proposed presentation will explore definitions of healthy ageing and the information gathered by the ongoing 45 and Up Study. It will share existing definitions of remoteness while exemplifying why the need to examine how place, geography and socioeconomic disadvantage could impact healthy ageing and how Peach plans to examine this in her research.
Three Key Learnings:
1. Understanding the conflicting nature of wellbeing and healthy ageing research and the need for clarity in definitions.
2. Understanding the heteregenous nature of place and remoteness analysis to date and the need for more targeted research.
3. Understanding the value of the 45 and Up Study and its underutilisation in this space - the potential for the study to help us understand the impact of remoteness on healthy ageing overall.
Biography
Peach is a communications specialist, having run her own copywriting business for over a decade. She holds undergraduate degrees in Linguistics and Journalism and since moving to the Southern Highlands in regional NSW, has operated as a part-time senior journalist for her local newspaper the Southern Highlands Express.
Peach began focusing on her research journey just before the pandemic completing a Psychology degree with honours. She quickly developed a passion for wellbeing and the impact of rurality and remoteness on wellbeing. Peach began her PhD in early 2024 at Charles Sturt University.
