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Rural Australia (rural + australia)
Selected AbstractsHuman Capital in Remote and Rural Australia: The Role of Graduate MigrationGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2010JONATHAN CORCORAN ABSTRACT In this paper we examine the spatial employment patterns of Australia's university graduates in nonurban locations. Using a 2006 data set recording the employment status of 65,661 university graduates 6 months after their graduation we examine how the personal and human capital characteristics of the individual university graduate affect the type of rural location into which he or she enters for employment purposes. The importance of identifying which types of graduates work where is essential for our understanding of the forces that are currently shaping the spatial distribution of human capital across Australia's regions. In order to do this we allocate postcode-based data of graduate employment to one of five remoteness classes, as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, that allow us to distinguish between different degrees of rurality. The postcode data are used to associate the ways in which the human capital characteristics of the graduate in terms of the types of university degrees awarded and the universities attended, as well as the personal characteristics of the graduate, are related to the degrees of rurality in his or her employment outcomes. [source] Rural Youth Migration Trends in Australia: an Overview of Recent Trends and Two Inland Case StudiesGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008NEIL ARGENT Abstract Much of what has been written on the topic of Australian rural youth migration trends and processes has often proceeded from data-free, or data-poor grounds. In this context, this paper analyses recent trends in youth (15 to 24 years of age) migration for a temporally-consistent set of Statistical Divisions (SDs) in inland rural Australia, and for local government areas within the Northern Tablelands and Slopes and Ranges of northern New South Wales and the Western Australian Central Wheatbelt. The paper finds that rates of youth loss from rural regions have increased over the past twenty years. Yet the patterns, processes, causes and impacts of rural youth migration are distributed in a spatially-uneven fashion. Some remote areas are receiving net migration gains while booming ,sea change' coastal regions have experienced heavy losses. While the ,flight to the bright city lights' syndrome is evident, relatively high proportions of young people in the Northern SD of NSW move within their immediate region. Nevertheless, some common understandings concerning youth mobility were also confirmed. Gender differentials in migration propensity between women and men are evident even at quite local scales. Young people are also more likely to search out capital cities than the rest of the population. Most inland areas still continue to experience heavy losses of local youth. A more precise understanding of rural youth migration trends is an important stepping stone in the establishment of a reinvigorated research effort into young rural people's perspectives of their changing life chances in their home communities. [source] The Amenity Complex: Towards a Framework for Analysing and Predicting the Emergence of a Multifunctional Countryside in AustraliaGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 3 2007NEIL ARGENT Abstract There is growing consensus among academics, regional development organisations and rural communities that the future growth and development of rural regions is increasingly dependent upon their ability to convey, to both established and prospective residents, the ,amenity' of their local physical, social and economic environments. However, little research to date has sought to identify exactly what comprises ,amenity' in the rural context, or has examined how this conceptually slippery quality is distributed across rural Australia, or how it influences local demographic, socio-economic and land use change. This paper attempts a broad scale investigation of rural amenity in the south-east Australian ecumene, identifying its core components in this context, mapping its distribution and assessing the nature of its influence over in-migration rates over the past three decades. The paper finds that, at a macro-scale, amenity tends to follow a general gradient from high to low according to distance from the coast, and that its relationship with in-migration rates has increased substantially between 1976,1981 and 1996,2001. [source] Financial Exclusion in Rural and Remote New South Wales, Australia: a Geography of Bank Branch Rationalisation, 1981,98GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2000N.M. Argent The provision of financial services in rural Australia is a significant public policy issue, reflected in the high level of media and political interest in the recent spate of branch closures. There are, however, many aspects of the current debate regarding the delivery of financial services to rural communities that are, at best, less than ideal and, at worst, erroneous. Using telephone directories for New South Wales, non-metropolitan bank branch listings for the period 1981 to 1998 were collated. A recategorisation of these data according to the Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas classification reveals, amidst a spatial realignment of financial service provision, that rural and remote New South Wales have been disproportionately affected by a relatively recent and concerted withdrawal of services. The research demonstrates that corporate-level responses to increased competition within the financial system are significantly more important in deciding rural access to banking services than local and regional population trends. Indeed, two-thirds of rural localities that have lost branches had experienced healthy population growth during the study period. In the wake of the post-deregulation reconfiguration of the bank branch network, the socio-economic marginalisation of rural communities is being compounded, a process of ,financial exclusion' recognised in other parts of the developed world. [source] Globalisation, rural restructuring and health service delivery in Australia: policy failure and the role of social work?HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 3 2007BSocStud, MLitt, Margaret Alston PhD Abstract The impacts of globalisation and rural restructuring on health service delivery in rural Australia have been significant. In the present paper, it is argued that declining health service access represents a failure of policy. Rural communities across the world are in a state of flux, and Australia is no different: rural communities are ageing at faster rates than urban communities and young people are out-migrating in large numbers. During the past 5 years, rural Australia has also experienced a severe and widespread drought that has exacerbated rural poverty, and impacted on the health and well-being of rural Australians. Australian governments have responded to globalising forces by introducing neoliberal policy initiatives favouring market solutions and championing the need for self-reliance among citizens. The result for rural Australia has been a withdrawal of services at a time of increased need. This paper addresses the social work response to these changes. [source] Minimum and preferred entry qualifications and training provision for North Australian workersINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2006Bruce Acutt This paper reports on the outcomes of a replication study of a survey of British employers that requested information on the qualifications sought when recruiting employees and on subsequent training and development. While the British survey was interested in the uptake and use of the British National Vocational Qualifications, the study reported in this article is primarily focused on the uptake and use of the Australian Qualifications Framework qualifications by North Australian employers. This study was prompted by the skills shortages and recruitment difficulties being experienced by organizations throughout rural and regional Australia. Previous studies have found that vocational qualifications were not valued by UK employers and few employers were encouraging employees to undertake vocational awards. If this is also the case in Australia, it may in part explain problems in recruiting skilled workers. This research clearly demonstrates that employees in regional and rural Australia are seeking to improve their knowledge and skills through vocational training and higher education qualifications. Also, employers are providing access to training and are supporting managerial and professional employees to gain higher educational qualifications. When recruiting all types of worker other than unskilled labourers, the majority of organizations prefer to recruit workers with qualifications. In rural and regional centres, however, a more pragmatic stance of recruiting unqualified employees in some areas is observed. Clearly, employers will attempt to minimize training costs by recruiting skilled employees, but in the end they will have to provide access to training and education to ensure that they have a skilled workforce that can deliver essential services and products. [source] Harm minimization strategies: opinions of health professionals in rural and remote AustraliaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2007G. M. Peterson BPharm (Hons) PhD MBA Summary Background and objective: There is some evidence that the problem of illicit drug use (IDU) is increasing in rural areas of Australia. Lack of access to harm minimization (HM) strategies is potentially exacerbated by a shortage of health care facilities and health care professionals in rural areas. This study was conducted to determine barriers to implementation, access to, and success of HM strategies, as seen by health professionals presently working in rural Australia. Methods: Four hundred rural pharmacists Australia-wide and 425 doctors in rural Victoria and Tasmania were sent postal surveys to assess their opinions on the level of IDU in their area, the types of drugs commonly used, the adequacy of HM strategies and facilities, and the barriers faced by doctors, pharmacists and clients. Results: The overall response rate was almost 50%. Slightly less than half of surveyed health professionals felt that IDU was increasing in their area, with heroin perceived to be the most prevalent drug used in all States except Tasmania and the Northern Territory. Both methadone prescribers and dispensers believed the methadone maintenance programmes were highly valuable to the community, but not without problems (e.g. risk of overdose). A lack of time or staff was the greatest influence on doctors not participating in the methadone programmes, whereas safety concerns were prominent with pharmacists. The majority of doctors felt HM facilities were inadequate, with needle-syringe exchange being the most frequently nominated HM strategy lacking. Conclusion: Despite best intentions, there are still problems with HM strategies in these areas. Improving the number and expertise of health professionals in rural areas, and providing adequate support for them, would address some of these problems. [source] DAMAGE CONTROL SURGERY AND ANGIOGRAPHY IN CASES OF ACUTE MESENTERIC ISCHAEMIAANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 5 2005Anthony J. Freeman Background: Acute mesenteric arterial occlusion typically presents late and has an estimated mortality of 60,80%. This report examines the evolution of a novel management approach to this difficult surgical problem at a teaching hospital in rural Australia. Methods: A retrospective review of 20 consecutive cases that presented to Lismore Base Hospital, Lismore, New South Wales, between 1995 and 2003 was performed. Results: Of the 16 patients who were actively treated, 10 survived. Mortality was associated with attempting an emergency operative revascularisation and not performing a second-look laparotomy. All three patients who had a damage control approach at the initial operation survived and in four cases endovascular intervention successfully achieved reperfusion of acutely ischaemic bowel. Conclusions: Evidence from the series of patients described suggests that damage control surgery and early angiography improve survival in patients suffering acute mesenteric ischaemia. A damage control approach involves emergency resection of ischaemic bowel with no attempt to restore gastrointestinal continuity and formation of a laparostomy. Patients are stabilised in the intensive care unit (ICU) and angiography can be arranged to either plan a definitive bypass procedure or alternatively endovascular therapies can be carried out in an attempt to arrest gastrointestinal infarction. Definitive surgery is then considered after 2,3 days. This approach is particularly attractive if immediate specialist vascular expertise is not available. [source] Operational teledermatology in Broken Hill, rural AustraliaAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2005Adrian See SUMMARY From January 2001 to January 2002, Broken Hill, New South Wales, served as a trial site for teledermatology as one method of access to dermatologists. Fourteen participating general practitioners referred 46 patients making up 48 teledermatology cases. The mean diagnostic agreement between general practitioners and dermatologists was 35% and 50% for primary and differential diagnoses, respectively. Teledermatology patients formed 12% of the collectively referred dermatology patients (outpatients and teledermatology). In this project, high patient and general practitioner acceptability and positive medical outcomes confirm the value of rural teledermatology. However, this project also revealed unexpected barriers and pitfalls in the effective operation of rural teledermatology. Lack of education of participants, inertia among potential users and patient inconvenience are issues that may adversely affect the effective implementation of rural teledermatology. [source] The Eden model: Innovation in Australian aged care?AUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 3 2010Maree Petersen Aim:, The Eden model of care is part of discourse associated with innovation in aged care. There is, however, limited rigorous research to identify its essential claims. This paper examines the implementation of the Eden model in one integrated health service in rural Australia. Methods:, Data are derived from a small qualitative study that explored the views of staff. Results:, Findings highlight that while the discourse of the Eden model is accessible to all staff within aged care and is linked to person-centred care, there is tension with this practice of aged care within the Australian context. Conclusion:, It is appropriate to ask if this form of care is innovative; what constitutes innovation and the importance of accounting for wider contextual factors. There is a need to build on this exploratory study with dialogue and research of not only the Eden model, but innovation in aged care within Australia. [source] Urban,rural differences in psychiatric rehabilitation outcomesAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2010Srinivasan Tirupati Abstract Objective:,Employing rural and urban patient populations, the aim of the study was to examine the differences in rehabilitation intervention outcomes, particularly in regard to the social and clinical determinants. Design:,The study employed a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of patient outcome and characteristics. Setting:,Community-based psychiatric rehabilitation service in regional and rural Australia. Participants:,A total of 260 patients were included in the service evaluation phase of the study and 86 in the second part of the study. Participants were community-based and suffered from a chronic mental illness. Main outcome measure(s):,Clinical and functional outcomes were measured using the Health of Nations Outcome Scale and the 16-item Life Skills Profile. The outcome score employed was the difference between scores at intake and at the last complete assessment. Clinical and sociodemographic characters were recorded using a proforma developed for the study. Results:,Patients from rural Maitland had a significantly larger mean reduction in total scores and classified more often as ,Improved' on both the Health of Nations Outcome Scale and Life Skills Profile than patients from either of the urban areas (P < 0.01). Study of randomly selected patients showed that those from an urban area had a more complex illness with multiple needs and less often received family support than their rural counterparts. Conclusions:,For rural communities the improvement in rehabilitation outcomes might be attributable to a more benign form of the illness and the availability of higher levels of social capital. [source] Mental health impact for adolescents living with prolonged droughtAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2010John G. Dean Abstract Background:,A 2004 study showed adolescents living in rural Australia were aware of the impact of drought on self, family and community, but did not report levels of emotional distress higher than adolescents of similar age and gender in the Australian community. It was proposed that the rural lifestyle had helped adolescents build resilience for managing this environmental adversity. Objective:,To re sample adolescents from the same rural area and determine if this resilience remained after ongoing drought three years later. Design:,A mixed methods approach using focus groups and a self-report questionnaire. Setting:,Government Central Schools within the Riverina region of New South Wales. Participants:,Male and female adolescents (n = 111) aged 11,17 years completed the self-report questionnaires, while some adolescents (n = 61) within this group also participated in focus groups. Main outcome measure:,The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and a Drought and Community Survey for Children comprised the self-report survey. Results:,Adolescents reported significantly higher levels of emotional distress than those in the previous study (t (191) = 2.80, P < 0.01) and 12% of adolescents scored in the clinical caseness range. Thematic analysis showed consistency with the previous study as well as new themes of grief, loss and the impacts of global climate change. Conclusions:,Results indicate a reporting of lesser well-being than was reported by a comparable group of young people four years earlier. A preventative intervention with a focus on family and community is recommended to address the mental health of adolescents enduring a chronic environmental adversity such as drought. [source] Loss of income and levels of scholarship support for students on rural clinical placements: A survey of medical, nursing and allied health studentsAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 3 2009Deborah Schofield Abstract Objective:,To quantify the financial impact of rural clinical placements on medical, nursing and allied health students in rural Australia. Design:,The Careers in Health Tracking Survey provided data on whether students were employed, usual weekly hours of employment and a range of covariates, such as age, sex, course of study, marital status, dependants and rural or urban origin. Participants:,A total of 121 students from a range of health professions completed the Careers in Health Tracking Survey while on rural placement at the Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health. Outcome measures:,Survey data. Results:,Forty-one per cent of respondents were working immediately before their clinical placements. Nursing students worked the longest hours by far and were significantly more financially disadvantaged than both medical and allied health students (P < 0.01). Scholarship support was unevenly distributed, with nursing and allied health students being relatively under-supported in relation to lost earnings. Conclusion:,Recruitment of students can be an effective strategy to address the rural health workforce shortage throughout Australia. However, there are a number of financial disincentives for students to undertake rural clinical placements. Additional support for some disciplines is needed to provide equitable distribution of scholarship support to offset this financial burden. Establishing an employment scheme for students on rural clinical placements and a scholarship for income replacement where employment is not available would also alleviate income loss. [source] PHC RIS: Practice nurses , Enhancing primary health care services in rural AustraliaAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2009Sara Howard No abstract is available for this article. [source] Influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors on rural healthAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009John R. Beard Abstract Objective:,To provide a framework for investigating the influence of socioeconomic and cultural factors on rural health. Design:,Discussion paper. Results:,Socioeconomic and cultural factors have long been thought to influence an individual's health. We suggest a framework for characterising these factors that comprises individual-level (e.g. individual socioeconomic status, sex, race) and neighbourhood-level dimensions (population composition, social environment, physical environment) operating both independently and through interaction. Recent spatial research suggests that in rural communities, socioeconomic disadvantage and indigenous status are two of the greatest underlying influences on health status. However, rural communities also face additional challenges associated with access to, and utilisation of, health care. The example is given of procedural angiography for individuals with an acute coronary event. Conclusions:,Socioeconomic and cultural factors specific to rural Australia are key influences on the health of residents. These range from individual-level factors, such as rural stoicism, poverty and substance use norms, to neighbourhood-level social characteristics, such as lack of services, migration out of rural areas of younger community members weakening traditionally high levels of social cohesion, and to environmental factors, such as climate change and access to services. [source] Effect of climate change on Australian rural and remote regions: What do we know and what do we need to know?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2008Peng Bi Abstract This paper addresses a very important issue in Australian rural and remote regions: the effects of climate change on various aspects including natural resources, agricultural activity, population health, and social and economic development. The objective is to briefly characterise the consequences of climate change in rural Australia and what we can do to prevent further impact in our rural communities. [source] Where is the evidence that rural exposure increases uptake of rural medical practice?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 5 2007Geetha Ranmuthugala Abstract Australian Government initiatives to address medical workforce shortages in rural Australia include increasing the intake of students of rural background and increasing exposure to rural medicine during training. Rural-orientated medical training programs in the USA that selectively admit students from rural backgrounds and who intend to practise as family practitioners have demonstrated success in increasing uptake of practice in rural/underserved areas. However, in examining the specific contribution of rural exposure towards increasing uptake of rural practice, the evidence is inconclusive, largely due to the failure to adjust for these critical independent predictors of rural practice. This paper identifies this evidence gap, examines the concept of rural exposure, and highlights the need to identify which aspects of rural exposure contribute to a positive attitude towards rural practice, thereby influencing students to return to rural areas. The cost of rural exposure through student placements is not insignificant, and there is a need to identify which aspects are most effective in increasing the uptake of rural practice, thereby helping to address the medical workforce shortage experienced in rural Australia. [source] Farm-related fatal injury of young and older adults in Australia, 1989,1992AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2002Rebecca J. Mitchell Abstract: This paper describes the types of, and circumstances surrounding, unintentional farm-related fatal injuries involving young and older adults in Australia. Information was obtained from an inspection of coronial files for the period 1989,1992. Around 14% of all farm-related fatalities in Australia during 1989,1992 were of young adults aged 15,24 years and approximately one-quarter were of older adults aged , 55 years. Young adults were commonly fatally injured in motor vehicle incidents and in incidents involving firearms. Tractors were the most common agent involved in fatal incidents involving older adults. Intervention measures to prevent fatalities of older adults in agriculture should focus on the safe use of tractors, while for young adults it appears prevention efforts should centre around safe use of firearms and operation of motor vehicles on the farm. Ways to overcome barriers to the use of injury prevention measures in rural Australia should be further explored. [source] FARM-RELATED FATAL INJURY OF YOUNG AND OLDER ADULTS IN AUSTRALIA, 1989,1992AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2002Rebecca J. Mitchell ABSTRACT: This paper describes the types of, and circumstances surrounding, unintentional farm-related fatal injuries involving young and older adults in Australia. Information was obtained from an inspection of coronial files for the period 1989,1992. Around 14% of all farm-related fatalities in Australia during 1989,1992 were of young adults aged 15,24 years and approximately one-quarter were of older adults aged? 55 years. Young adults were commonly fatally injured in motor vehicle incidents and in incidents involving firearms. Tractors were the most common agent involved in fatal incidents involving older adults. Intervention measures to prevent fatalities of older adults in agriculture should focus on the safe use of tractors, while for young adults it appears prevention efforts should centre around safe use of firearms and operation of motor vehicles on the farm. Ways to overcome barriers to the use of injury prevention measures in rural Australia should be further explored. [source] | |||||||||||||