Comparison of Community Health between Rural and Urban Areas in View of the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Global Perspective through a Literature Review

Abstract

The progressive aging of society is expected to lead to the development of effective integrated community-based care system considering the characteristics based on community environments. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced population health worldwide. This study aimed to examine disparities in population health and health-related factors between rural and urban communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL for articles published up to September 2022 with the following search terms: community health, rural, urban, and COVID-19. A total of 105 articles were identified, of which three articles with a cross-sectional quantitative research design met the inclusion criteria. Two articles focused on mental health, and among them, one recognized a significant disparity between rural and urban areas. Four health-related factors in view of the COVID-19 pandemic in rural and urban areas were perceived, including knowledge, behavior, lifestyle, and social support. And, two factors: health-related knowledge and health-related behavior, were perceived as the significant disparities between rural and urban during the COVID-19 pandemic. The further efforts will be needed to pursue effective integrated community-based care system during and post-COVID-19, taking into account community environment at both community and individual levels.