Citation

Assantachai P. Siriraj Med. J. 2010; 62(2): 103-105.

Affiliation

Department of Preventive & Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Since rural health has been highlighted and promoted by health policy makers over the past few decades in nearly every developing country, especially through primary health care in the rural communities, urban health has long been overlooked and neglected with the myth that people who live in the urban setting have already enjoyed the available health infrastructure. However, with the trend of fast-growing development in the city, this affects the life-style and environment of people who live in this environment and are not prepared to adapt their way of life in time with the pace of change. This adverse scenario can also be experienced among those under-privileged people, e.g., older people, who cannot catch up with the opportunity and changes in this ever-changing urban community. Not only the physical deterioration that older people suffer from, but also the co-existing reduced mental health reserve that makes older people difficult to adapt their in-grained habit to the ever-changing development in big cities. The consequences of urbanization in the cities are, therefore, health inequalities.

A major focus of this article is on the creation and maintenance of age-friendly environments.