The bridgewater family project: urban isolation and health

Abstract

The establishment of a health centre linked to the University of Tasmania in a new housing estate in an outer suburb of Hobart presented a unique opportunity to study the health and illness of the community. A representative group of 200 families was interviewed personally about their family structure, health, illness and lifestyles. The sample of families selected corresponded well to the total population when compared with information from census data. This paper describes the objectives of the Bridgewater family project and the preliminary results that have identified separate groups of patients for closer study. Single-parent families made up 23% of the sample; only 9% of the single moth..