Sense of coherence in Crete and Sweden: key findings and messages from a comparative study.

Background/objective: The concept of ''sense of coherence'' (SOC) was introduced in 1987 by Aaron Antonovsky to describe a dispositional orientation, ''a way of seeing the world'', which is presumed to enhance health. This study reports on the results of the first implementation of SOC in rural Crete and discusses the findings, with a view to the potential impact on primary care delivery in rural Crete.

Methods: This study forms part of a follow-up project initially established in 1988 in the rural area of Spili, Crete.