Risk factors for preterm, low birthweight and small for gestational age births among Aboriginal women from remote communities in Northern Australia.

Objective: To identify the risk factors for preterm birth, low birthweight and small for gestational age babies among remote-dwelling Aboriginal women.

Methods: The study included 713 singleton births from two large remote Aboriginal communities in Northern Territory, Australia in 2004-2006 (retrospective cohort) and 2009-2011 (prospective cohort). Demographic, pregnancy characteristics, labour and birth outcomes were described.

The quality of health services provided to remote dwelling aboriginal infants in the top end of northern Australia following health system changes: a qualitative analysis.

Background: In Australia the health outcomes of remote dwelling Aboriginal infants are comparable to infants in developing countries. This research investigates service quality, from the clinicians' perspective and as observed and recorded by the researcher, in two large Aboriginal communities in the Top End of northern Australia following health system changes.

Methods: Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with 25 clinicians providing or managing child health services in the two study sites.

Remote links: Redesigning maternity care for Aboriginal women from remote communities in Northern Australia - A comparative cohort study.

Objective: to compare the quality of care before and after the introduction of the new Midwifery Group Practice.

Design: a cohort study.

Setting: the health centers (HCs) in two of the largest remote Aboriginal communities (population 2200-2600) in the Top End of the Northern Territory (NT), each located approximately 500km from Darwin.

Identifying maternity services in public hospitals in rural and remote Australia.

Objective: This paper articulates the importance of accurately identifying maternity services. It describes the process and challenges of identifying the number, level and networks of rural and remote maternity services in public hospitals serving communities of between 1000 and 25000 people across Australia, and presents the findings of this process.

Methods: Health departments and the national government's websites, along with lists of public hospitals, were used to identify all rural and remote Australian public hospitals offering maternity services in small towns.

Adherence to management guidelines for growth faltering and anaemia in remote dwelling Australian Aboriginal infants and barriers to health service delivery.

Background: Remote dwelling Aboriginal infants from northern Australia have a high burden of disease and frequently use health services. Little is known about the quality of infant care provided by remote health services. This study describes the adherence to infant guidelines for anaemia and growth faltering by remote health staff and barriers to effective service delivery in remote settings.

Frequent hospital admission of older people with chronic disease: a cross-sectional survey with telephone follow-up and data linkage.

Background: The continued increase in hospital admissions is a significant and complex issue facing health services. There is little research exploring patient perspectives or examining individual admissions among patients with frequent admissions for chronic ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions. This paper aims to describe characteristics of older, rural patients frequently admitted with ACS conditions and identify factors associated with their admissions from the patient perspective.

Use of health services by remote dwelling Aboriginal infants in tropical northern Australia: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Australia is a wealthy developed country. However, there are significant disparities in health outcomes for Aboriginal infants compared with other Australian infants. Health outcomes tend to be worse for those living in remote areas.

Community based service providers' perspectives on frequent and/or avoidable admission of older people with chronic disease in rural NSW: a qualitative study.

Background: Frequent and potentially avoidable hospital admission amongst older patients with ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) chronic conditions is a major topic for research internationally, driven by the imperative to understand and therefore reduce hospital admissions. Research to date has mostly focused on analysis of routine data using ACS as a proxy for 'potentially avoidable'. There has been less research on the antecedents of frequent and/or avoidable admission from the perspectives of patients or those offering community based care and support for these patients.

Processing the first birth: journeying into 'motherland'.

Aims And Objectives: To explore first-time mothers' experiences of birth at home and in hospital in Australia.

Background: The first birth has unique physical and psychological impacts on women. With the first birth, women become mothers.

An account of significant events influencing Australian breastfeeding practice over the last 40 years.

Background: Low breastfeeding duration rates reflect the pain and distress experienced by many women who discontinue breastfeeding in the early weeks and months of life. This paper explores modern key historical events that have significantly influenced Australian breastfeeding education and practice.

Method: Relevant literature reviewed from 1970 to 2010 identified key events that appear to have contributed to the decrease in Australian breastfeeding rates and the increase in women experiencing breastfeeding complications, particularly nipple pain and trauma.

Preparing for the first birth: mothers' experiences at home and in hospital in australia.

The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of a group of first-time mothers who had given birth at home or in hospital in Australia. Data were generated from in-depth interviews with 19 women and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. One of the categories to emerge from the analysis, "Preparing for Birth," is discussed in this article.

The novice birthing: theorising first-time mothers' experiences of birth at home and in hospital in Australia.

Objective: to explore first-time mothers' experiences of birth at home and in hospital in Australia.

Design: a grounded theory methodology was used. Data were generated from in-depth interviews with women in their own homes.

Women's experiences of continuity of midwifery care in a randomised controlled trial in Australia.

Objective: to compare the experiences of women who received a new model of continuity of midwifery care with those who received standard hospital care during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period.

Design: a randomised controlled trial was conducted. One thousand and eighty-nine women were randomly allocated to either the new model of care, the St George Outreach Maternity Project (STOMP), or standard care.