Variation in religious affiliations between different populations: metropolitan, rural, agricultural and elderly

People with a religious affiliation are more likely to hold beliefs affecting health care choices. It is hypothesised that a religious affiliation, particularly to a Christian religion, is more common outside metropolitan areas, particularly in rural, very elderly and agricultural populations. The study's aim was to test this hypothesis. Rural, very elderly and agricultural populations within regional Victoria were compared with Melbourne on religious affiliations reported in the 1996 census. A religious affiliation was significantly more common in the very elderly (83.3%) and agricultural (86.1%) populations than in Melbourne (79.1%). A Christian affiliation was significantly more common in the rural (78.6%), very elderly (82.9%) and agricultural (85.8%) populations than in the metropolitan area (72.5%), while a non-Christian affiliation was significantly less common (< 0.8 vs. 6.6%). This study confirms that a Christian religious affiliation is more common outside metropolitan areas, particularly in rural, very elderly and agricultural populations. Beliefs affecting health-care choices are also likely to be more common in very elderly and agricultural populations due to their higher level of religious affiliation overall.