Part 2/9:
Before diving into the implications of this phenomenon, it’s essential to properly define self-identified rurality. This term means that individuals who reside in urban settings or urbanized areas might still see themselves as rural, reflecting a discrepancy between geographical reality and personal identification. This notion wasn’t pulled out of thin air; academic literature, particularly within healthcare, discusses this misalignment extensively. Research reveals that a significant number of people living in metropolitan regions assert a rural identity, prompting questions about how this self-perception affects their social behaviors, political affiliations, and even health outcomes.