The Rural Health Promotion Group (PROSAARU) is a consolidated research group of the Jordi Gol i Gorina Institute for Primary Care Research (IDIAP Jordi Gol), accredited by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR). The group is composed mainly of research professionals from the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS) in Central Catalonia and is based at the Central Catalonia Research Support Unit (USR), located at the Bages Health Center (Manresa).
PROSAARU conducts applied and translational research in the field of primary care, with a particular focus on health equity, rural settings, and the sustainability of the healthcare system. The group is characterized by a distinctly interdisciplinary approach and the integration of diverse professional profiles—medicine, nursing, midwifery, statistics, epidemiology, psychology, nutrition, biology, and pharmacy—most of whom combine research with clinical practice, university teaching, and/or healthcare management. This structure facilitates highly practice-oriented research and the transfer of knowledge to health services and public policies.
The group has strengthened its scientific activity through the acquisition of competitive funding at the European, national, and regional levels, the development of strategic population cohorts, and a robust scientific output with significant impact in primary care and public health. Its research lines focus on primary prevention and the social determinants of health, chronicity and frailty, quaternary prevention, emerging public health challenges—including COVID-19—and planetary health.
PROSAARU integrates a gender perspective across all areas, both in the composition of the group and in its scientific approach. The group is predominantly composed of women researchers and coordinated by a female investigator, reflecting its commitment to equal opportunities, female leadership in research, and the incorporation of gender analysis into the study of social determinants and health inequalities, particularly in rural environments.
The group’s objective is to generate knowledge about the social, environmental, and healthcare factors that shape health in rural settings, and to contribute to improving the organization, quality, and equity of primary care services. In this context, PROSAARU conducts epidemiological studies, clinical research, and innovation and health promotion projects tailored to the rural context.
Through this approach, the group aims to consolidate itself as a leading authority in rural health promotion and planetary health, while fostering the recruitment and training of young talent in research. Its work combines scientific excellence, leadership in competitive projects, and implementation in real-world contexts, with a strong focus on knowledge transfer and reducing health inequalities.
