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Background: This qualitative study explored the attitudes and experiences of Hong Kong Chinese parents/carers relating to the sexual needs of their child with intellectual disabilities. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Hong Kong with seven parents/carers applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore their experiences of and attitudes towards the sexual needs of their adult child with intellectual disabilities. Findings: Data revealed three salient variations in participants' attitudes towards the child's sexual needs: concern, reluctance and prohibition. Participants' anxiety about discussing sexuality was evident. Most participants further displayed a layer of feeling that combined 'love' and 'grief'. Based on Goffman's dramaturgical perspective, participants exhibited front stage and back stage behaviours that are believed to be strongly influenced by stigmatisation and collectivist culture. Conclusion: Various levels of intervention to reduce stigma are identified and discussed. This study also highlighted the role of caring professionals in generating awareness of the cultural impact on the family and the need to carefully address the subtle feelings experienced by family members with intellectual disabilities.

Background: Staff members' views can have a significant impact on sexuality issues of people with intellectual disabilities. Research on the impact of sociocultural factors in this area in the Chinese context is sparse. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven professionals (social worker, nurse, life skills trainer and manager) to explore their experiences of and attitudes towards the sexual needs of people with intellectual disabilities by applying interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: The study identified two major themes, each with two sub-themes: 1. Professional handling of the sexual needs of people with intellectual disabilities (sex education and intervention); 2. Barriers (incompatible approaches and parental resistance). Participants also experienced feelings of resignation facing the barriers they encountered. Collectivism and cultural view about sex are potentially the influencing factors. Conclusion: This study highlights the need to adopt an evidence-based sex education programme whose content and delivery should take account of cultural factors.

: Objective: To explore injury deaths in international and domestic interstate travellers, together with those newly arrived to Australia. Methods: A population‐based cohort study of all injury‐related deaths between 1January 2006 and 31 December 2017 registered with Births Death and Marriages in Australia was conducted using Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) Cause of Death information. Population data on travellers were obtained from Tourism Research Australia. Results: There were 4,503 injury‐related traveller deaths (domestic interstate:3,055; international:934; new arrivals:514). The average annual age‐standardised mortality rates in domestic interstate travellers was 0.75 per 100,000, compared with 2.22 per 100,000 in international travellers. Leading causes of injury‐related death were land transport incidents (n=1495, 33.2%), self‐harm (n=786, 17.5%) and falls (n=513, 11.4%), with differences in mechanism by state/territory, traveller type and age group. Intentional self‐harm was common amongst all visitor types, however, it was the primary cause of death in new arrivals Conclusion: Age‐standardised mortality rates were almost three‐fold higher in international than domestic travellers. New arrivals, international and domestic travellers have different injury profiles, and each require specific prevention strategies. Implications for public health: While COVID has restricted travel to and within Australia, this has provided an opportunity for exploration, reflection, and consideration of risk factors for travellers, and to develop targeted injury prevention strategies for visitor types, so travel experience can be optimised and the magnitude of harm can be reduced., Injuries are a leading cause of travel‐related mortality and morbidity globally.[sup.1,2] While Australia is not typically considered a dangerous country for visitors, injuries and deaths occur.[sup.2,3] In 2019, there were [...]

Objectives: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) provides evidence-based secondary prevention for people with heart disease (HD) (clients). Despite HD being the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, CR is under-utilised in Australia. This research investigated healthcare systems required to improve access to CR in rural and remote areas of North Queensland (NQ). Methods: A qualitatively dominant case study series to review management systems for CR in rural and remote areas of NQ was undertaken. Data collection was via semi-structured interviews in four tertiary hospitals and four rural or remote communities. An audit of discharge planning and CR referral, plus a review of community-based health services, was completed. An iterative and co-design process including consultation with healthcare staff and community members culminated in a systems-based model for improving access to CR in rural and remote areas. Results: Poorly organised CR systems, poor client/staff understanding of discharge planning and low referral rates for secondary prevention, resulted in the majority of clients not accessing secondary prevention, despite resources being available. Revised health systems and management processes were recommended for the proposed Heart: Road to health model, and given common chronic diseases risk factors it was recommended to be broadened into Chronic disease: Road to health. Conclusion: A Chronic disease: Road to health model could provide effective and efficient secondary prevention for people with chronic diseases in rural and remote areas. It is proposed that this approach could reduce gaps and duplication in current healthcare services and provide flexible, client-centred, holistic, culturally responsive services, and improve client outcomes. What is known about the topic? Cardiac rehabilitation is known to improve health outcomes and reduce hospitalisations, but referrals and attendance are low (30%). What does this paper add? A revised systems-based model for improved access to secondary prevention for people with heart and related chronic diseases in rural and remote areas of North Queensland is proposed: Chronic disease: Road to health. What are the implications for practitioners? A functional system from hospitalisation to local healthcare services has been designed to improve access to secondary prevention. Staff require support and education to improve skills, better manage care and improve job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Community pharmacists play an important role in pre-travel preventive care and treating the conditions and diseases travellers may acquire during or post-travel. They provide travellers with medicines (preventive, prescription and over the counter), travel health advice, health supplies and vaccination based on their travel itinerary and individual health profile. The health of international and outbound Qatari travellers is an important area of practice and there is a dearth of studies on Qatari community pharmacists' knowledge and practice of travel health and travel medicine. This study aims to investigate Qatari community pharmacists' level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) towards travel medicine. Methods: In this study (Oct-Nov 2022), a cross-sectional study was conducted with 117 community pharmacists using a self-administered standardized questionnaire comprising of demographics and practice profile of pharmacists and questions covering knowledge, attitude and practice regarding travel medicine using Google Forms. Descriptive analysis of the collected data was performed using IBM SPSSS 38.0. Results: The survey showed that a significant portion of community pharmacists (56.4%) are aware of travel medicine but lack practical knowledge regarding the practice of travel medicine. Furthermore, most of these pharmacists (59%) recognized the significance of fundamental understanding of travel medicine and consider it their responsibility to provide travel health services. Yet only a small fraction of pharmacists provided travel-related medicines and health services to individuals visiting them. Conclusion: Although the participants displayed a positive attitude towards travel medicine, a noticeable knowledge gap existed. This knowledge gap may have contributed to their attitude and the limited practice of travel medicine observed among them. Stakeholders should offer training, resources, and a supportive regulatory environment for Qatari community pharmacists to provide travel health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Infectious disease epidemiology is continuously shifting. While travel has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and travel-related epidemiological research experienced a pause, further shifts in vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) relevant for travellers have occurred. Methods We conducted a literature search on the epidemiology of travel-related VPD and synthesized data for each disease with a focus on symptomatic cases and on the impact of the respective infection among travellers, considering the hospitalization rate, disease sequela and case fatality rate. We present new data and revised best estimates on the burden of VPD relevant for decisions on priorities in travel vaccines. Results COVID-19 has emerged to be a top travel-related risk and influenza remains high in the ranking with an estimated incidence at 1% per month of travel. Dengue is another commonly encountered infection among international travellers with estimated monthly incidence of 0.5–0.8% among non-immune exposed travellers; the hospitalized proportion was 10 and 22%, respectively, according to two recent publications. With recent yellow fever outbreaks particularly in Brazil, its estimated monthly incidence has risen to >0.1%. Meanwhile, improvements in hygiene and sanitation have led to some decrease in foodborne illnesses; however, hepatitis A monthly incidence remains substantial in most developing regions (0.001–0.01%) and typhoid remains particularly high in South Asia (>0.01%). Mpox, a newly emerged disease that demonstrated worldwide spread through mass gathering and travel, cannot be quantified regarding its travel-related risk. Conclusion The data summarized may provide a tool for travel health professionals to prioritize preventive strategies for their clients against VPD. Updated assessments on incidence and impact are ever more important since new vaccines with travel indications (e.g. dengue) have been licensed or are undergoing regulatory review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]