Objective: To investigate associations between “caring for country” — an activity that Indigenous peoples assert promotes good health — and health outcomes relevant to excess Indigenous morbidity and mortality. Design, setting and participants: Cross‐sectional study involving 298 Indigenous adults aged 15–54 years in an Arnhem Land community, recruited from March to September 2005. Main outcome measures: Self‐reported involvement in caring for country, health behaviours and clinically measured body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, type 2 diabetes status, albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, lipid ratio, score on the five‐item version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K5), and 5‐year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Results: Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours, multivariate regression revealed significant and substantial associations between caring for country and health outcomes. An interquartile range rise in the weighted composite caring‐for‐country score was significantly associated with more frequent physical activity, better diet, lower BMI (regression coefficient [b] = − 2.83; 95% CI, − 4.56 to − 1.10), less abdominal obesity (odds ratio [OR], 0.43; 95% CI, 0.26–0.72), lower systolic blood pressure (b = − 7.59; 95% CI, − 12.01 to − 3.17), less diabetes (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.03–0.52), lower HbA1c level (b = − 0.45; 95% CI, − 0.79 to − 0.11), non‐elevated ACR (OR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.13–0.60), higher HDL cholesterol level (b = 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01–0.12), lower K5 score (b = − 0.97; 95% CI, − 1.64 to − 0.31) and lower CVD risk (b = − 0.77; 95% CI, − 1.43 to − 0.11). Conclusions: Greater Indigenous participation in caring for country activities is associated with significantly better health. Although the causal direction of these associations requires clarification, our findings suggest that investment in caring for country may be a means to foster sustainable economic development and gains for both ecological and Indigenous peoples’ health.

Objective: To examine the relationship between the mean daily concentration of respirable particles arising from bushfire smoke and hospital presentations for asthma. Design and setting: An ecological study conducted in Darwin (Northern Territory, Australia) from 1 April – 31 October 2000, a period characterised by minimal rainfall and almost continuous bushfire activity in the proximate bushland. The exposure variable was the mean atmospheric concentration of particles of 10 microns or less in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) per cubic metre per 24‐hour period. Outcome measure: The daily number of presentations for asthma to the Emergency Department of Royal Darwin Hospital. Results: There was a significant increase in asthma presentations with each 10‐µg/m3 increase in PM10 concentration, even after adjusting for weekly rates of influenza and for weekend or weekday (adjusted rate ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.09–1.34; P < 0.001). The strongest effect was seen on days when the PM10 was above 40 µg/m3 (adjusted rate ratio, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.46–3.90), compared with days when PM10 levels were less than 10 µg/m3. Conclusion: Airborne particulates from bushfires should be considered as injurious to human health as those from other sources. Thus, the control of smoke pollution from bushfires in urban areas presents an additional challenge for managers of fireprone landscapes.

Hobart) that exceeded the moderate, high and extreme Heat Stress Risk threshold as defined by the 2021 Sports Medicine Australia Extreme Heat Policy 13 2 Annual number of National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) aircraft services and volunteer firefighters and support staff in Australia from 2007-08 to 2020-21 NAFC aircraft services represent the number of aircraft in Australia available to fight bushfires. It should be noted that some aircraft double up for the north and south of the country; for example, an aircraft may run in Queensland then move to Tasmania as a separate service. A service is usually exclusive to NAFC use, mostly for 84 or 96 days each summer (some services run longer). Data sources: NAFC and Australian Government Productivity Commission. ◆ MJA 215 (9) ▪

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Aim Globally, most landscape burning occurs in the tropical savanna biome, where fire is a characteristic of the annual dry season. In northern Australia there is uncertainty about how the frequency and timing of dry season fires have changed in the transition from Aboriginal to European fire management. LocationIn the tropical eucalypt savannas that surround the city of Darwin in the northwest of the Northern Territory of Australia. MethodsOur study had three parts: (1) we developed a predictive statistical model of mean mass ( µ g) of particulates 10 µ m or less per cubic metre of air (PM 10 ) using visibility and other meteorological data in Darwin during the dry seasons of 2000 and 2004;(2) we tested the model and its application to the broader air shed by (a) matching the prediction of this model to PM 10 measurements made in Darwin in 2005, (b) matching the predictions to independent measurements at two locations 20 km to the north and south of Darwin and (c) matching peaks in PM 10 to known major fire events in the region (2000-01 dry seasons); and (3) we used the model to explore changes in air quality over the last 50 years, a period that spans the transition from Aboriginal to European land management. ResultsWe demonstrated that visibility data can be used reliably as a proxy for biomass burning across the largely uncleared tropical savannas inland of Darwin. Validations using independent measurements demonstrated that our predictive model was robust, and geographically and temporally representative of the regional airshed. We used the model to hindcast and found that seasonal air quality has changed since 1955, with a trend to increasing PM 10 concentrations in the early dry season. Main conclusionsThe results suggest that the transition from Aboriginal to European land management has been associated with an increase in fire activity in the early months of the dry season.