Country life bad for you.

Despite the image of a country life being a healthy one, those who live outside cities are likely to smoke and drink more, be fatter and die younger than their city cousins. A report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare titled Rural, regional and remote health: Indicators of health, found that rural people also did not feel as happy with their lives.

The report found birth rates, particularly for teenagers, were higher in the country; children had more decayed, missing or filled teeth; and students were less likely to finish high school. If students did complete their studies, they were less likely to go to university.

Death rates increase the further a person lives from a city. For example, deaths of boys aged 5 to 14 in remote areas were three times the rate for city boys, while the rate for girls in remote areas was four times the rate for city girls. Reasons suggested for the differences in health include: higher risk factors; lower income and lower levels of education; a lack of health services; and social and cultural factors, such a tendency to self-diagnose (Adelaide Advertiser, 13/5/05, p.19; Herald Sun, 13/5/05, p.15).