Results from closures will determine the appropriateness and efficacy of this mitigation measure.

ObjectivesTo determine the low back pain beliefs of Aboriginal Australians; a population previously identified as protected against the disabling effects of low back pain due to cultural beliefs.DesignQualitative study employing culturally appropriate methods within a clinical ethnographic framework.SettingOne rural and two remote towns in Western Australia.ParticipantsThirty-two Aboriginal people with chronic low-back pain (CLBP; 21 men, 11 women). Participants included those who were highly, moderately and mildly disabled.ResultsMost participants held biomedical beliefs about the cause of CLBP, attributing pain to structural/anatomical vulnerability of their spine. This belief was attributed to the advice from healthcare practitioners and the results of spinal radiological imaging. Negative causal beliefs and a pessimistic future outlook were more common among those who were more disabled. Conversely, those who were less disabled held more positive beliefs that did not originate from interactions with healthcare practitioners.ConclusionsFindings are consistent with research in other populations and support that disabling CLBP may be at least partly iatrogenic. This raises concerns for all populations exposed to Western biomedical approaches to examination and management of low back pain. The challenge for healthcare practitioners dealing with people with low back pain from any culture is to communicate in a way that builds positive beliefs about low back pain and its future consequences, enhancing resilience to disability.

Participants focused on issues closely related to effective and ineffective management of RF/RHD. The lessons learned are indicators for health staff attempting to improve the quality of management that people receive.

To optimise maternal and infant health outcomes, Australian antenatal care providers and services need to incorporate both the recommendation and delivery of influenza vaccination into routine antenatal care.

Objective: To document demographic characteristics and prevalence of infectious diseases in refugees and humanitarian entrants attending the Migrant Health Unit (MHU) in Perth for health assessment from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2004. Design: Retrospective case series. Participants: All refugees and humanitarian entrants arriving in Western Australia on subclass 200 and subclass 202 visas who were invited to attend the MHU. Main outcome measures: Demographic details, results of Mantoux tests, and blood and faecal tests for infectious diseases and parasites. Results: WA accepted 2781 refugee and humanitarian entrants in 2003 and 2004; 2617 were invited to attend the MHU, and 2111 (81%) actually attended for screening. Over three‐quarters arrived from Africa. Overall, 25% had a positive Mantoux test result, 5% were carriers of hepatitis B, and 5% had positive serological test results for syphilis. People arriving from sub‐Saharan Africa had the highest prevalence of most diseases, with 8% having malaria, 7% schistosomiasis, 5% hookworm, and 2% strongyloidiasis. Conclusion: Disease prevalence varied greatly between refugees from different countries and was particularly high in those arriving from sub‐Saharan Africa, the origin of most of Australia's refugee and humanitarian entrants. These data support the need for refugees and humanitarian entrants from countries with high rates of disease to have access to a comprehensive postarrival medical assessment and appropriate follow‐up health care. Health services must provide beneficial and cost‐effective services that protect the health of both individual refugees and the wider community.

Findings provide preliminary evidence of an increased MSP burden among Aboriginal Australians, and particularly for OA, a mismatch between the disease burden and access to health care. To increase accessibility, health services should initially focus on improving Aboriginal patients' experiences of care, in particular by improving patient-practitioner communication. Implications for care and research are outlined.

Contrary to previous assumptions, CLBP is profoundly disabling for some Aboriginal people and a priority health concern. Issues of gender, cultural obligations and the emotional consequences of CLBP are important consideration for health care. These findings, and the contextual approach used to gain an in-depth understanding of CLBP, may be relevant to populations elsewhere.

Gonorrhea infection conferred a substantially higher risk than chlamydia of hospitalization or emergency department presentation for PID. The emergence of gonorrhea antimicrobial resistance may have a serious impact on rates of PID and its associated reproductive health sequelae.