Rural and Remote Health is an open-access international academic journal serving rural and remote communities and publishing articles by rural health practitioners, educators, researchers and policy makers.

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Abortion is not routinely funded, provided or monitored by Australia’s public health system. Less than 10% of GPs in 2021 had undertaken the mandatory training to prescribe for medical abortion and most procedural abortion services are delivered by independent providers at considerable out-of-pocket cost to the consumer. GPs that are conscientious objectors to providing abortion services are legally obliged to refer to other available services but, for rural GPs, the absence of feasible referral pathways means this obligation can easily remain unfulfilled. This Original Research study investigates the experiences of rural primary care providers who become the ‘first point of contact’ for women with unintended pregnancy and, irrespective of their knowledge, interest or expertise in abortion provision, are charged with the task of ensuring abortion-seekers reach the services they need.

The COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020 and caused major disruptions to social activities, education, employment, and healthcare delivery. A concurrent ‘infodemic’ of misinformation (unintentionally false information) and disinformation (deliberately misleading information) about COVID-19 was also widespread. To help prepare for future infodemics, this Original Research article examines associations of health literacy with impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic among a diverse sample of adults in Northern Arizona, USA.

Low back pain is an international public health issue affecting over half a billion people worldwide, and the burden of low-back-pain-related disability is increasing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. A recent quantitative study in Suriname provided the first insights into the burden of musculoskeletal diseases in the country and found that low back pain is highly prevalent. Indigenous Peoples face numerous and unique barriers in seeking care for their low back pain. This Original Research article presents the results of a qualitative study that aimed to better understand the experiences of low back pain and care-seeking among Indigenous Peoples in Suriname by using a culturally relevant approach supported by the local traditional authority. The research was carried out in Galibi, a remote Kalinya Indigenous village in the north-east of Suriname.

A dor lombar é uma questão de saúde pública internacional que afeta cerca de 500 milhões de pessoas ao redor do mundo, e cuja carga de incapacidade está aumentando, particularmente em países de renda média e baixa. Um recente estudo quantitativo no Suriname forneceu as primeiras informações sobre a carga das doenças musculoesqueléticas no país e encontrou que a dor lombar é altamente prevalente. Indígenas se deparam com barreiras numerosas e únicas na procura por cuidado para a dor lombar. Este artigo original apresenta os resultados de um estudo qualitativo que objetivou uma melhor compreensão sobre as experiências de dor lombar e procura por cuidados entre indígenas do Suriname, utilizando uma abordagem qualitativa relevante apoiada pela autoridade tradicional local. A pesquisa foi realizada em Galibe, uma remota aldeia Kalinya no nordeste do Suriname.

El dolor lumbar es un problema de salud pública internacional que afecta a más de 500 millones de personas en todo el mundo, y la carga de discapacidad relacionada con el dolor lumbar está aumentando, en particular en los países de ingresos bajos y medios. Un estudio cuantitativo reciente en Surinam proporcionó los primeros conocimientos sobre la carga de enfermedad musculoesquelética en el país y descubrió que el dolor lumbar es muy prevalente. Los pueblos indígenas enfrentan numerosas y singulares barreras a la hora de buscar atención médica para su dolor lumbar. Este artículo de investigación original presenta los resultados de un estudio cualitativo que tuvo como objetivo comprender mejor las experiencias del dolor lumbar y la búsqueda de atención médica entre los pueblos indígenas de Surinam mediante el uso de un enfoque culturalmente relevante respaldado por la autoridad ancestral local. La investigación se llevó a cabo en Galibi, en una aldea indígena remota Kalinya en el noreste de Surinam.