Structural Model of health status in Rural Community: Social Trust, Medical Communication, and Health Information

Abstract

Industrialization and urbanization have caused health inequality between rural areas and cities. Health care in rural area is insufficient comparing to urban areas. This study examined the effects of social capital, Health Information, and medical communication factors on Health status in rural community using structural equation modeling. First, social capital has an effect on medical communication with physicians and medical communication impacts on health status. Second, health information orientation has an impact on health behavior and Internet health information. Lastly, health information orientation influenced by Internet health information as a mediator affects health status. As a whole, this study contributes to theoretical explanation about determinants of health status in communities by examining structural path of the effects of social factors and communication factors on health status in rural area