Volume seventeen, Issue 2

Honduras is the second poorest country in Central America, and roughly 50% of the population lives in rural areas. This pilot study examined how a pediatric telehealth network linking these areas to larger health centers may improve patient access to care, and physician access to educational opportunities.

The Australian community aged-care sector is facing a growing workforce crisis, particularly in rural and regional areas. This paper reports on the experiences and perceptions of a small sample of service managers who are accountable for care provision in regional and rural locations, where recruitment and skill needs are contoured by disproportionate aged populations, distance and reduced service availability.

Interviews and questionnaires were used to identify the differences between Rural Health and Remote Health and produce a detailed and rigorous description of Remote Health. This work will assist policymakers, health planners, teachers and researchers to develop an appropriate workforce, models of service delivery and policy that are relevant, appropriate and effective and ensure a more equitable distribution of resources and health outcomes across the entire continent.

Although cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in Honduras, and yearly screening services are available in this community, knowledge and access barriers exist for cervical cancer screening services by Pap smear for women in rural and remote Honduras. The findings of this study will guide regional and collaborative effort to improve cervical cancer screening services.

Malaria is prevalent in more than 80% of townships in Myanmar. Most of the existing malaria control programs are developed and directed by health authorities and communities are only passively involved. This study implemented an active community participation program using the participatory learning approach in a village and found that it scored higher for outcomes including participation in malaria control activities, community knowledge about malaria and change in practice than a village employing a routine malaria control program.

Maldistribution of the primary care workforce remains a key problem characterising geographically large countries like Australia and the USA. This study found that rural recruitment and retention of doctors is influenced by a rural town's amenity (e.g. local community infrastructure such as housing, schools, health facilities and transport), not just professional issues (e.g. after-hours support and locum relief). This evidence is important in understanding the role of place characteristics and rural population dynamics in the recruitment and retention of rural doctors.

Health Justice Partnerships (HJPs) provide an innovative service model offering an integrated health and legal service for a community. HJPs are particularly well suited to meet the needs of young people and those in regional locations experiencing complex legal issues. This paper presents interim findings from research examining the impact on young people, and the implications on practice for staff in the partner organisations, of an HJP in a large regional area in Victoria, Australia.

This study utilised FITNESSGRAM data to evaluate differences in overweight and obesity prevalence across different gradations of rurality. Results suggest that students in suburban environments demonstrate lower levels of overweight and obesity than urban and rural counterparts.

This study examined the prevalence and safety of self-medication in patients attending rural and remote family physicians in Slovenia, and the factors associated with it. People tend to seek more information on self-medication but the main sources are lay informants. Further studies are needed to explore the safety of such practices.

Aboriginal children in Canada experience significant disparities in health in comparison with their mainstream peers. The Aboriginal Children's Health and Well-being Measure (ACHWM) was developed within one First Nation community, the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, to meet the need for a culturally relevant measure of health and wellbeing for Aboriginal children (ages 8-18 years) in Canada. This article describes the relevance of the ACHWM beyond Wiikwemkoong.