Volume nine, Issue 4

What are the social determinants of good health status for Jamaican men? This article provides a comprehensive discussion of the topic and how this information can be used for targeted health planning.

Public health nurses are considered an essential component of the rural public health system. This interesting article describes public health nurses in remote areas of Idaho, USA, and offers an insight into differences from and similarities with public health nurses in other geographic areas.

Do age, gender and place play a role in the differences in mortality between rural and urban locations? This article provides some answers from an examination of mortality patterns in rural and remote Canada.

Rehabilitation services as we know them originated during World War II with the aim of returning injured servicemen to active duty. These days, when rural residents must undertake hospital-based rehabilitation, a worthy goal is to return them to a facility close to home. This novel project analysed the introduction of rehabilitation services in two small Australian rural hospitals. As a bonus to interesting and specific conclusions, this study also offers insight into the process of change in the rural inpatient setting.

When local, state, and national efforts are coordinated, there is great potential to address challenging areas such as childhood obesity. Solutions that work at the local level must involve the individuals who comprise the community, especially those most involved with lifestyle, diet, and interventions. Thus, the solutions for childhood obesity suggested by this small Appalachian study are informed by the perspectives of local school students, and their teachers and parents.

In the United States the old, older, and oldest populations are set to double and even triple in some more rural states, while primary care services either remain stable or decline. Geriatric evaluation will become even more challenging in rural locations with fewer rural primary care physicians and more complex patients. The authors of this study identify Illinois rural primary care physicians as taking on the challenge of geriatric depression, despite greater than expected prevalence, insufficient resources, and other barriers to care. In doing so they provide another example of rural practices taking on the challenges of the future ahead of others in the nation.

The small mountain kingdom of Lesotho decentralised oral health services management to districts. Following this, public sector dentists identified barriers to effective oral health service planning for its rural population.

The authors of this article report the very exciting outcomes of a large health promotion program in Papua New Guinea. They show that empowering village-level health workers with education, appropriate tools and support mobilises community leaders and results in meaningful improvements in health promoting environments and practices.

Ensuring high school students are aware of opportunities to help them study medicine is crucial for the future of the rural medical workforce. This timely paper reminds us of the continuing need to make sure the next generation of doctors is aware of their options.

Childhood obesity is an increasing problem in America, and populations both rural and underserved can add important clues to finding solutions. Studies of prevalence, characteristics, and changes over time are the beginning of a process of change for better health outcomes. This Appalachian study makes an important contribution.

What personal characteristics and experiences of allied health professionals influence their decision to practice in rural and northern locations? How can these findings be used to recruit and retain new graduates to these locations? Read this article to find out more...

The one-year Flinders University program for undergraduate education located in rural general practices has set the standard for medical education in Australia and internationally. This results of this study suggest that half of these graduates are on a rural pathway. The article considers why the other half is not, applying unique typology that includes 'The Frustrated' and 'The Metro Docs'.

This ethnographic study from Kenya compared traditional healers with the biomedical approach, revealing important differences. It revealed important barriers to biomedical care, which have implications for the uptake of other rural healthcare services.

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Too often young women's health has been subsumed under reproductive health risks. Qualitative studies of how women negotiate potential risk have been useful, but this article goes further by listening to women's broader experiences. They identify life course circumstances where interventions may be beneficial in assisting women to achieve their goals and to be resilient to health threats.

Placement experiences have the potential to influence medical career decision-making. What, then, are the pre-placement expectations and actual experiences associated with rural GP placement. This unique, small South Australian study will make thought-provoking reading for those interested in the rural GP workforce.

This short communication suggests enhanced primary care strategies to cure the ailing Greek health care system.

Continuing professional development for rural health professionals in Uganda was revitalised using information and communication technology - with some unexpected side benefits.

Building research capacity in a rural health authority is a goal often beset by challenges. Read this project report to find out how a rural health authority in British Columbia, Canada, met their specific challenges, their experiences along the way and the lessons learned as they attempted to integrate research into their organization.

This letter reports the rare incidence of tropical Mycobacterium ulcerans disease (Buruli ulcer) in a newborn in rural Africa.