“Rural health is subjective, everyone sees it differently”: Understandings of rural health among Australian stakeholders

In Australia, a diversity of perspectives of rural health have produced a deficit discourse as well as multidisciplinary perspectives that acknowledge diversity and blend in social, cultural and public health concepts. Interviews with 48 stakeholders challenged categories of rural and remote, and discussed these concepts in different ways, but invariably marginalised Aboriginal voices. Respondents overwhelmingly used a deficit discourse to plead for more resources but also blended diverse knowledge and at times reflected a relational understanding of rurality. However, mainstream perspectives dominated Aboriginal voices and racial exclusion remains a serious challenge for rural/remote health in Australia. •Stakeholders in rural and remote health have pluralist perspectives.•Perspectives stem from integrating individual experiences with professional knowledge.•Rigid categories or single sources of knowledge do not reflect stakeholder perspectives.•Stakeholders reflected a relational understanding of hybrid rural/remote health.•Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander voices have not been genuinely included.