Environmental Impact on Rural Health Disparities: A Key Factor in Achieving Health Equity

One additional factor contributing to health disparities between urban and rural areas is the impact of the environment. Urban areas have implemented increasingly stringent regulations for environmental protection. As a result, most industries that produce hazardous waste have been relocated to rural areas (Du and Ruike, 2012), leading to a significant decline in the quality of living conditions in rural regions compared to urban areas. In the long term, bridging the health disparity between urban and rural areas is essential for upholding principles of fairness and justice.