Rural versus urban healthcare through the lens of health behaviors and access to primary care: a post-hoc analysis of the Romanian health evaluation survey.

Background: Worldwide, rural populations are recognized to be exposed to increased health challenges due to their living and working environment, socioeconomic status, and access to health services. According to the Romanian Country Health Profile 2023, approximately 46% of all deaths recorded in Romania in 2019 could be attributed to behavioral risk factors such as tobacco smoking, dietary risks, alcohol consumption and low physical activity. No data on rural versus urban areas are available to date, and research is needed to document health inequalities, identify barriers to health services, and explore solutions.