Guided Tours to Better Understand Rural Community Contexts for Health Promotion

To explore how mobile interviewing can be utilised to better inform rural health promotion efforts, as well as the type and breadth of data generated. Mobile methods are defined by the researcher and participant being in motion in a specific setting, collaborating in the data collection process.

A rural health service catchment in Victoria, Australia.

Members of local Progress Associations, Town Advisory Committee and service clubs within the catchment.

The study employed an exploratory qualitative design. Mobile interviewing was used in the form of unstructured guided tours, led by participants. The theme provided was 'What in your town helps or hinders community health?'. Content and thematic qualitative analysis were applied, and a socioecological model was adopted to structure the findings.

Six guided tours involving seven participants were conducted. Local drivers of health were identified across all five levels of the applied model (intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, public policy). Institutional-level factors figured most prominently during the guided tour discussions (e.g., relating to the agricultural sector or not-for-profit community organisations). Community factors (e.g., intentional support between local organisations) were also highlighted. Public policy factors were the least discussed out of the five levels of the socioecological model. The study found that perceptions of community health drivers varied substantially, even among geographically close and demographically similar towns.

The study highlights how mobile interviewing can generate rich, contextual data. The findings suggest that guided tours can serve as a valuable tool for rural health promotion practitioners, providing a holistic understanding of local drivers of health and informing more tailored interventions.