The impact of Australian disability policy reform, known as the National Disability Insurance Scheme, on the capacity of rural health and human service organizations to facilitate higher education has been poorly investigated. This study explored how health professionals perceive the impact of the National Disability Insurance Scheme on nursing…

Background: In rural and regional areas, older Australians have poorer health outcomes and higher rates of potentially preventable hospital admissions than their metropolitan counterparts. Paramedics may be uniquely placed to improve health outcomes of rural-dwelling older adults through involvement in primary and preventive healthcare, health…

Background: The development of adolescent health literacy through school-based programmes is attracting international interest. However, there exist competing definitions, models and understandings of how these programmes should be conceptualised, implemented and evaluated. Australian Curriculum documents such as those relating to health and…

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an online chronic disease self-management program for South Australia residents. Method: Data were collected online at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. The intervention was an asynchronous 6-week chronic disease self-management program offered online. The authors measured eight health status measures,…

Objective: Assessing the strategies, achievements and challenges of implementing MindMatters and the views of partner schools towards the buddy support scheme. Design: The MindMatters buddy support scheme (2007-2008) was designed to increase the capacity of secondary schools to adopt a whole-school approach to improving health and well-being of…

Objective: This study examines the levels of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related stigma among the Iranian population and the factors that contribute to the formation of stigma within the study population. Design: A quantitative research design was used in this research whereby participants completed…

At least 20% of young people aged between 14 and 25 years who live in inland Australia experience a mental health or substance use problem at any given point in time. Many of these young people experience significant geographic, economic and sociocultural barriers to obtaining youth-friendly health advice and care, particularly in relation to key…

Minimising discrepancies between Australia's rural and the more favourable urban health status relates to more than workforce recruitment, retention and access to health services: A proactive strategy, using resources at hand, can empower people to improve their health. Academics from a nurse education unit have, therefore, regularly engaged with…

eHealth is an emerging service sector which has great potential to improve health care delivery to rural and remote communities, facilitate health surveillance, and promote health education and research. Despite the critical need for eHealth services in Australia based on the challenges of distance and human resources, its utility has yet to be…

The educational environment for postgraduate health professionals from developing countries in contemporary western universities is an intermediate zone between home and host culture. In this zone, knowledge is shaped through the development of concepts within the limitations of (often) pre-fluent language capacity. It is characterized by the…

The 2005-2008 Australian National Sexually Transmissible Infections Strategy identifies young people as a key target group in need of sexual health education, screening and management. For young people who are in contact with the New South Wales (NSW) juvenile justice system, a dire need for remedial sexual health education exists. NSW young…

Objective: To record the views of individuals whose main professional role is community liaison on dental health education material for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Methods: Tape-recorded interviews were undertaken, reviewed by two individuals and themes identified. Results: Twenty four individuals were interviewed out of a…

Otitis media (OM) is an inflammation of the middle ear that is prevalent in childhood. OM can result in hearing loss, which interferes with learning. In Australia, indigenous children experience OM more often than other populations. Because teachers lack knowledge of OM and its effects on learning, affected children are often mislabeled as problem…

Describes four Australian initiatives in community health education: (1) Newtown Community Psychology Centre; (2) Association of Drug Referral Centres; (3) Society for Health Promotion; and (4) Health and Human Relations Exchange. (SK)

The focus of this issue is to provide an international perspective on the status of school health in 16 different countries as well as issues and trends in different international settings. The articles describe health care delivery and education systems, and instructional, environmental, and health service activities. (SM)