The changing distribution of disease in Regionville

This survey is a partial replication study of a community with the fictitious name of Regionville which was first studied by Koos in the period 1946-50 (1). In the present paper, we are concerned only with that part having to do with the distribution of disease. Though differences in methods do not allow for a true replication, the indications are that social classes are much more similar in their reported experience of disability now than they were a generation ago. Sources of bias are examined, and it is suggested that differential perceptions of appropriate sick role behaviour may contaminate the findings. Moreover, the sample probably did not include a large enough number of the poverty-stricken population--which is a rather small proportion of the total population--to discover such differences as might in fact exist. It is concluded, however, that the findings do represent a real change in the distribution of disability in the population of Regionville.