Volume twenty-one, Issue 4

Rural and remote physiotherapy in Australia has evolved to be regarded by some as a discipline in its own right, requiring additional competencies and skills to bridge the gap from metropolitan practice. This study outlines an introductory set of competencies that contribute to effective physiotherapy practice in rural Australia.

Social capital is considered an important determinant of health and overall well-being, but there is a paucity of literature relating social capital to malnutrition in low-income countries. This paper examines the relationships between social capital and chronic malnutrition and anemia in a population of rural coastal children in Ecuador.

The Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC) is a model of medical training that involves community-based education in which the student participates in the care of patients over an extended time, building relationships with clinicians and the community and working on clinical competencies across multiple disciplines. Although many schools in the USA, Canada and Australia have implemented LICs in undergraduate programs in many different ways, few published reports in Asia exist. This first report of modified LICs in Thailand assesses different rural educational environments using the DREEM questionnaire.

Colombia's rural areas, already geographically isolated, have also suffered from government neglect and armed conflict, further exacerbating their isolation in terms of basic needs and health access. This study constructs new categories of rurality in Colombia, taking into consideration the armed conflict and typology of isolation, to help inform policymakers and planners.

Las áreas rurales de Colombia, que ya se encuentran geográficamente aisladas, han sufrido además la negligencia del gobierno y los conflictos armados, lo que agrava aún más su aislamiento en términos de necesidades básicas y acceso a la salud. Este estudio construye nuevas categorías de ruralidad en Colombia, tomando en consideración el conflicto armado y la tipología de aislamiento, para contribuir al trabajo de legisladores y planificadores.

As áreas rurais da Colômbia, já geograficamente isoladas, também têm sofrido com a negligência do governo e conflitos armados, agravando ainda mais seu isolamento em termos de necessidades básicas e acesso à saúde. Este estudo constrói novas categorias de ruralidade na Colômbia, levando em consideração o conflito armado e a tipologia do isolamento, para auxiliar os formuladores de políticas e planejadores.

Within Australia, there has been particular concern about the impact of COVID-19 on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, given the disproportionate impacts previous pandemics have had on Indigenous peoples. This Commentary reports on the effectiveness of an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, The Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative, in managing this deadly pandemic amongst a vulnerable population group by administering specialised health care, health promotion and health interventions to its members.

Longitudinal studies are important tools for public health and epidemiological research, but are resource-intensive and difficult to perform in rural and remote populations. This Letter to the Editor describes how pseudo-longitudinal designs can be utilized as a valuable alternative to traditional longitudinal studies.

To build a ‘home grown’ local Northern Territory (NT) medical workforce, Flinders University established the NT Medical Program (NTMP) in 2011. Ten years on, we provide an update on NTMP performance: graduation rates are increasing; one in three Indigenous students graduate from the program; and a large proportion of graduates go on to work in the NT.

Greater levels of social fragmentation have been found to be associated with impaired mental health but studies have predominantly focused on urban populations. This study investigated whether social fragmentation and psychological distress were associated in a rural area of south-eastern Australia, and examined whether there were spatial hotspots of psychological distress and social fragmentation in the region.