Rural Remote Research Articles

Design Solar Photovoltaic Diesel Hybrid System with Battery Storage for Rural Remote Area: A Case Study of Mwala Village Mbeya District

Reliable hybrid systems (solar photovoltaic and diesel generators) have been shown to produce high-quality energy that supports different social and economic activities in Mwala village and Mbeya region in the United Republic of Tanzania, which contain three hundred households for the purpose of reducing poverty. The system was designed after load demand analysis with the help of Hybrid Optimisation of Multiple Electric Renewables (HOMER) software. For simulations on a diesel generator standalone system, a generator with penetration of renewable energy resources (solar photovoltaic) system, and a solar PV standalone system. The components of the hybrid system configuration include a generator of 24 kW, a solar photovoltaic of 29.5 kW, an inverter of 10.4 kW, and a generic 1 kWh lead acid with 120 strings. The paper features a detailed analysis of fuel consumption, optimisation of the system, capital cost, operating cost, electrical energy obtained, gas emissions, and sensitivity analysis. The result obtained from the model revealed that the total energy generated was about 75366 kWh per year, with an excess of 7240 kWh per year, which increased the reliability of power and allowed the availability of energy for new buildings and electrical appliances. The gas emissions from a generator standalone system were three times higher than those of a reliable hybrid system. Based on the energy demand, the solar PV diesel hybrid system with batteries has proven to supply reliable power 24/7.

Nurse Navigators - Champions of the National Rural and Remote Nursing Generalist Framework: A solution.

Nurse Navigators were introduced in Queensland, Australia, in 2016. Nurse Navigators coordinate person-centred care, create partnerships, improve care coordination and outcomes and facilitate system improvement, independently of hospital or community models. They navigate across all aspects of hospital and social services, liaising, negotiating and connecting care as needed. People stay with Nurse Navigators for as long as required, though the intent is to transition them from high-care needs to self-management. Nurse Navigators are a working model in rural and remote areas of Queensland. To describe where the rural and remote Nurse Navigator position fits within the Rural Remote Nursing Generalist Framework and to define the depth and breadth of the rural and remote Nurse Navigator's scope of practice. Using template analysis, data from focus groups and interviews were analysed against the domains of the recently released National Rural and Remote Nursing Generalist Framework. Navigators working in rural and remote areas across Queensland Health were invited to an interview (n = 4) or focus group (n = 9), conducted between October 2019 and August 2020. Rural and remote Nurse Navigators are proficient in all domains of the framework and actively champion for their patients, carers and the communities where they live and work. This research demonstrates that rural and remote Nurse Navigators are a working model of advanced nursing practice, acting as 'champions' of The Framework. The Nurse Navigator model of care introduced to Queensland exemplifies proficient registered nurse practice to the full extent of their knowledge and skill.

Analyzing the success of Hispanic boys in meeting college and career readiness standards in rural Texas high schools

Examined in this investigation were the percentages of Hispanic boys who were college ready or not college ready as a function of the district’s rural setting for three consecutive school years (i.e., 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2018-2019). Descriptive statistics were calculated for all three rural school district types combined and then separately for the three rural school districts (i.e., Rural Remote, Rural Distant, and Rural Fringe). With respect to this investigation, 41% of Hispanic boys met a College, Career, and Military Readiness indicator in mathematics. All three rural school district types had positive trends or negligent changes over the three consecutive school years for Hispanic boys who met a College, Career, and Military Readiness indicator in mathematics. More than a third, 34.36%, of Hispanic boys from rural distant school districts met a college readiness indicator in mathematics. Similar percentages were present for Hispanic boys in rural remote school districts, 35.74%, and for Hispanic boys in rural fringe school districts, 36.01%. However, approximately two-thirds of Hispanic boys did not meet a college readiness indicator in mathematics in any of the three rural district type settings over three consecutive years. As such, educational leaders are encouraged to expand their efforts in this area, along with evaluating the efficacy of their current strategies.

Challenges and Strategies of Rural Electrification Program for Electric Cooperatives in Central Luzon, Philippines

The Philippine government strongly advocates the Rural Electrification Program for over 50 years, purposely to generate better opportunities that would propel socio-economic development. Various rural electrification initiatives were then established to attain universal electricity access but actual accomplishments continue to lag behind the targets. This study delved into the Rural Electrification Program of four (4) Electric Cooperatives in Central Luzon, Philippines, and assessed its impacts on poverty, health and well-being, quality of education, economic growth and development, industry and infrastructure, and climate change. A descriptive research design was applied and used qualitative and quantitative methods of research in collecting, investigating, and explaining the data. The quantitative method involving numerical data was gathered from the respondents through a survey questionnaire powered by Google forms while in the qualitative aspect, an interview with the respondents along with appropriate observation was conducted. Determination of different problems confronting the said program and the application of aggressive and more advanced strategies were conducted. Findings revealed that the biggest electrification challenge being experienced by Electric Cooperatives (ECs) was rural inaccessibility and remoteness of areas along with difficult or rugged terrain. Thus, the best-recommended solution for non-viable areas after trying all the possible options would be off-grid electrification. In conclusion, the implication of the findings of the study of Public Administration was deliberated to comprehensively assess the opportunities to attain an enhanced quality of life, better access to basic services in areas of health, education, and water as well as resilient infrastructure towards rural development, for the best interest of Filipino people. Keywords: Rural electrification program, Electric services, Universal electricity access, Central Luzon, Philippines

Optimal Design of a Hybrid Off-Grid Renewable Energy System Using Techno-Economic and Sensitivity Analysis for a Rural Remote Location

Due to the lack of grid power availability in rural areas, hybrid renewable energy sources are integrated with microgrids to distribute reliable power to remote locations. This optimal hybrid system is created using a solar photovoltaic system, wind turbine, diesel generator, battery storage system, converter, electrolyzer and hydrogen tank to provide uninterrupted power and meet different load demands of different communities in Doddipalli village, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India. Optimization and techno-economic analysis are performed to design the proposed system using HOMER Software. Various configurations are obtained from the software among which the best four combinations are considered for case studies. This research article aims to design the optimal hybrid renewable energy system, wherein the design consists of PV/BS (1476 kW-solar PV, 417 batteries, electrolyser-200 kW, hydrogen tank-20 kg and 59.6 kW-converter) by comparing the minimum net present cost (NPC: $7.01 M), levelized cost of energy (LCOE: 0.244 $/kWh), and the high renewable fraction (RF: 84.1%). In this research, the proposed system would be more economical when solar energy becomes the primary source and is integrated with the battery. This research also presents a sensitivity analysis of the off-grid HRES system with various electrical load demands, project lifetime, and derating factors.

Community Based Prospective Study of Miscarriages in Context of Biomass Fuel use by Tribal Women of Rural Remote Region

Background: Miscarriage is one of most prevalent negative reproductive outcomes which affects women’s health globally. Knowing occurrence, causes, prevention of recurrence are great challenges. Exposure to air pollutant may be responsible for higher risk of miscarriage. Objective: Community based prospective study was carried out to know about the occurrence of miscarriages in context of Biomass fuel use by rural tribal, pregnant women. Setting: Villages and Dr. Sushila Nayar Hospital, Utavali, Melghat, Amravati Maharashtra. Methods: After approval of the institute’s ethics committee, study was conducted in 100 villages. After base information, villages were divided into 50 study, 50 controls, subdivided into 40 study villages with advocacy for protection from ill effects of Biomass fuel, 40 non-advocacy controls and 10 study villages where in addition to advocacy Chimneys were fixed on roofs of huts with no windows, for exit of smoke and 10 controls where neither advocacy was done nor Chimneys were fixed. Main Outcome Measures: Change in occurrence of miscarriage with Biomass fuel use. Results: In 50 study villages, of 1005 pregnancies, 2.8% reported miscarriages and in 50 controls, of 1097 pregnancies 3.1% had miscarriage. Of 2700 pregnancies in 40 Advocacy study villages 6.6%, of 40 controls of 2700 pregnancies, 10.5% had miscarriages. In 10 villages with Advocacy as well as Chimneys, of 700 pregnancies, 2.4% had miscarriages in 10 controls, of 700 pregnancies 5.6% ended in miscarriages. In first year it could have been underreporting. Conclusion: In rural tribal women miscarriages were not more than globally known, but Biomass fuel did affect occurrence of miscarriages.

Rural vulnerability and institutional dynamics in the context of COVID-19: A scoping review.

This study reviewed the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on pre-existing vulnerabilities in rural communities using the scoping review strategy. It focused on manuscripts published on the topic in 2020. Based on 39 studies that met our inclusion criteria (out of 507 studies), we note that COVID-19 is exacerbating pre-existing rural vulnerabilities, including poverty, remoteness, socio-economic marginalisation and high unemployment. There is limited evidence that rural communities are resilient to the pandemic. Reduction in household expenditures and the community food system are the only reported forms of resilience. Although local institutions are supporting rural communities in responding to the impacts of the pandemic, several institutional dynamics undermine the effectiveness of the response. The increased risk of the pandemic is likely to reduce incomes and standards of living amongst poor communities. Thus, coping strategies were identified such as starting small gardens in communities, diet changes, targeting community markets with produce rather than retailers and food swap using social media, with food swap being the most adopted coping strategy. Although this study does not offer a comprehensive picture of the levels and nature of vulnerability, resilience and institutional dynamics of rural communities in different parts of the world reveal the limitations of existing knowledge of the vulnerability of rural communities in the context of COVID-19. This underscores the importance of further studies on rural vulnerability in the context of COVID-19 that will enable evidence-based responses to the pandemic in rural contexts.

Impact of Assistance Programs on Indigenous Ways of Life in 12 Rural Remote Western Alaska Native Communities: Elder Perspectives Shared in Formative Work for the “Got Neqpiaq?” Project

ABSTRACT For more than 50 years, government programmes in the USA have been in place to help those in need have consistent access to food and education. However, questions have surfaced regarding whether or not these support impact traditional ways, such as cultural activities, food preferences, and overall health, particularly for Indigenous populations. In this paper, we share insights voiced by Alaska Native Elders in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region of Alaska and their perceptions of regulations, assistance, and the impact government assistance programmes have had on their culture. Elders raised concerns so that those administering these programmes will consider how best to meet food security and education needs without interfering with Indigenous cultural practices and traditional lifestyle.

Sociodemographic and Geographic Factors Associated With Non-Obstetrical Ultrasound Imaging Utilization: A Population-Based Study

Ultrasound is one of the most commonly used imaging modalities, though some populations face barriers in accessing ultrasound services, potentially resulting in disparities in utilization. The objective of this study was to assess the association between sociodemographic and geographic factors and non-obstetrical ultrasound utilization in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. All non-obstetrical ultrasound exams performed from 2014 to 2018 in Saskatchewan, Canada were retrospectively identified from province-wide databases. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regression analyses were performed to assess the association between ultrasound utilization and sex, age, First Nations status, Charlson Comorbidity Index, urban vs. rural residence, geographic remoteness, and neighborhood income. A total of 1,324,846 individuals (5,857,044 person-years) were included in the analysis. Female sex (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 2.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.19-2.22), age (aIRR, 4.97; 95% CI, 4.90-5.05 for ≥57 years vs. <11 years), comorbidities (aIRR, 4.36 for Charlson Comorbidity Index >10 vs. 0; 95% CI, 3.78-5.03), and higher neighborhood income (aIRR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.05 for highest vs. lowest quintile) were associated with higher rates of ultrasound utilization. Individuals who were status First Nations (aIRR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90-0.92) or resided in geographically remote areas (aIRR, 0.87 for most vs. least remote; 95% CI, 0.83-0.91) had lower rates of ultrasound utilization. Individuals who lived in a rural area also had lower rates of ultrasound utilization (aIRR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.92-0.94). Substantial disparities exist in non-obstetrical ultrasound utilization among individuals in low-income neighborhoods, status First Nations individuals, and individuals in rural and remote communities.

Psychosocial well-being and supportive care needs of cancer patients and survivors living in rural or regional areas: a systematic review from 2010 to 2021.

PurposeTo summarise what is currently known about the psychosocial morbidity, experiences, and needs of people with cancer and their informal caregivers, who live in rural or regional areas of developed countries.MethodsEligible studies dating from August 2010 until May 2021 were identified through several online databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO, and RURAL (Rural and Remote Health Database). Results were reported according to the PRISMA guidelines and the protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020171764).ResultsSixty-five studies were included in this review, including 20 qualitative studies, 41 quantitative studies, and 4 mixed methods studies. Qualitative research demonstrated that many unique psychosocial needs of rural people remain unmet, particularly relating to finances, travel, and accessing care. However, most (9/19) quantitative studies that compared rural and urban groups reported no significant differences in psychosocial needs, morbidity, or quality of life (QOL). Five quantitative studies reported poorer psychosocial outcomes (social and emotional functioning) in urban cancer survivors, while three highlighted poorer outcomes (physical functioning, role functioning, and self-reported mental health outcomes) in the rural group.ConclusionRecent research shows that rural people affected by cancer have unique unmet psychosocial needs relating to rurality. However, there was little evidence that rural cancer survivors report greater unmet needs than their urban counterparts. This contrasts to the findings from a 2011 systematic review that found rural survivors consistently reported worse psychosocial outcomes. More population-based research is needed to establish whether uniquely rural unmet needs are due to general or cancer-specific factors.

Household Waste Management Practices and Challenges in a Rural Remote Town in the Hantam Municipality in the Northern Cape, South Africa

Waste management in rural areas poses a major challenge to local governments in developing countries. Municipalities face limited budgets and obstacles with the collection of waste, as well as a lack of proper equipment, infrastructure, and treatment centres. These obstacles lead to further problems, such as littering and illegal dumping, contributing to the knowledge base regarding remote and rural towns in South Africa. This study aims to assess the waste management practices and challenges of households in a Municipality in the Northern Cape, South Africa. The study investigates the household waste management practices, identifies the challenges experienced by households regarding their waste management, and explores their willingness to participate in a separation-at-source program. A cross-sectional research design was used along with a mixed methods research methodology. A sample of 160 interviews was completed over the period 16 to 20 September 2019. Descriptive statistics and a thematic analysis were used in the data analysis. The results indicate that municipalities, and households, will have to collaboratively search for solutions towards effective waste management in rural areas. Financial constraints also necessitate the investigation of alternative ways of managing household waste through cooperation with surrounding towns.

Social-Ecological Archetypes of Land Degradation in the Nigerian Guinea Savannah: Insights for Sustainable Land Management

The Nigerian Guinea Savannah is the most extensive ecoregion in Nigeria, a major food production area, and contains many biodiversity protection areas. However, there is limited understanding of the social-ecological features of its degraded lands and potential insights for sustainable land management and governance. To fill this gap, the self-organizing map method was applied to identify the archetypes of both proximal and underlying drivers of land degradation in this region. Using 12 freely available spatial datasets of drivers of land degradation—4 environmental; 3 socio-economic; and 5 land-use management practices, the identified archetypes were intersected with the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)-derived land-degradation status of the region, and the state administrative boundaries. Nine archetypes were identified. Archetypes are dominated by: (1) protected areas; (2) very high-density population; (3) moderately high information/knowledge access; (4) low literacy levels and moderate–high poverty levels; (5) rural remoteness; (6) remoteness from a major road; (7) very high livestock density; (8) moderate poverty level and nearly level terrain; and (9) very rugged terrain and remote from a major road. Four archetypes characterized by very high-density population, moderate–high information/knowledge access, and moderate–high poverty level, as well as remoteness from a major town, were associated with 61.3% large-area degradation; and the other five archetypes, covering 38.7% of the area, were responsible for small-area degradation. While different combinations of archetypes exist in all the states, the five states of Niger (40.5%), Oyo (29.6%), Kwara (24.4%), Nassarawa (18.6%), and Ekiti (17.6%), have the largest shares of the archetypes. To deal with these archetypical features, policies and practices that address increasing population in combination with poverty reduction; and that create awareness about land degradation and promote sustainable practices and various forms of land restoration, such as tree planting, are necessary for progressing towards land-degradation neutrality in the Nigerian Guinea Savannah.

The community rehabilitation response to COVID-19: innovative service delivery in community rehabilitation teams

International Journal of Therapy and RehabilitationVol. 27, No. 8 EditorialThe community rehabilitation response to COVID-19: innovative service delivery in community rehabilitation teamsNicole Lavin, Elizabeth FarrarNicole LavinCorresponding author: Nicole Lavin; E-mail Address: [email protected]University of Bradford, Bradford, UKSearch for more papers by this author, Elizabeth FarrarLiz Farrar Physiotherapy, Halifax, UKSearch for more papers by this authorNicole Lavin; Elizabeth FarrarPublished Online:1 Sep 2020https://doi.org/10.12968/ijtr.2020.0096AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References Attend Anywhere. Our work. 2020. https://www.attendanywhere.com/our-work.html (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarChartered Society of Physiotherapy. Rehabilitation and COVID-19. CSP policy statement. 2020a. hhttps://tinyurl.com/y4gq4m44 (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarChartered Society of Physiotherapy. Community rehabilitation: live well for longer. 2020b. https://tinyurl.com/y3sdzg3v (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarDepartment of Health and Social Care. Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS. 2010. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/liberating-the-nhs-white-paper (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarDepartment of Health and Social Care. NHS Outcomes Framework. Domain 2: health-related quality of life for people with long-term conditions. 2017. https://tinyurl.com/y4g8f3hh (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarGreenhalgh T, Wherton J, Shaw S, Morrison C. Video Consultations for Covid-19. BMJ. 2020;368:m998. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m998 Crossref, Google ScholarJackson M, Jones D, Dyson J, Macleod U. Facilitated group work for people with long-term conditions: a systematic review of benefits from studies of group-work interventions. Br J Gen Pract. 2019;69(682):e363–e372. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp19X702233 Crossref, Google ScholarLahelle AF, Oberg GK, Normann B. Group Dynamics in a group-based, individualised physiotherapy intervention for people with multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study. Physiother Res Int. 2020;25(3):e1829. https://doi.org/10.1002/pri.1829 Crossref, Google ScholarNHS England. Universal personalised care: implementing the comprehensive model. 2019a. https://tinyurl.com/yxg6outw (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarNHS England. The NHS Long Term Plan. 2019b. https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/nhs-long-term-plan-version-1.2.pdf (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarNHS England. After-care needs of inpatients recovering from COVID-19. 2020. https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/after-care-needs-of-inpatients-recovering-from-covid-19/ (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarPhillips M, Turner-Stokes L, Wade D, Walton K. Rehabilitation in the wake of COVID-19 – a phoenix from the ashes. 2020. www.bsrm.org.uk/downloads/covid-19bsrmissue1-published-27-4-2020.pdf (accessed 17 August 2020) Google ScholarSchuster R, Sigl S, Berger T, Laireiter A. Patients' experiences of web- and mobile-assisted group therapy for depression and implications of the group setting: qualitative follow-up study. JMIR Ment Health 2018;5(3):e49. https://doi.org/10.2196/mental.9613 Crossref, Google ScholarScriven H, Doherty DP, Ward EC. Evaluation of a multisite telehealth group model for persistent pain management for rural/remote participants. Rural Remote Health. 2019;19(1):4710. https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH4710 Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byExploring the delivery of community rehabilitation services for older people in an urban Canadian setting: Perspectives of service providers, managers and health system administrators30 November 2021 | Health & Social Care in the Community, Vol. 30, No. 5Getting infected with SARS-CoV-2Massimiliano Polastri28 February 2022 | International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, Vol. 29, No. 2 2 August 2020Volume 27Issue 8ISSN (online): 1759-779X Metrics History Published online 1 September 2020 Published in print 2 August 2020 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

Disadvantage and economic viability: characterising vulnerabilities and resilience in upland farming systems

Less Favoured Areas (LFA) were designated to support farming activity on land with limited productive potential. However, progressive land abandonment in these areas questions the rationale and targeting of support payments to maintain viable farming enterprises. Using micro level data on farm businesses over the period 2003-2016 matched to land capability and spatial data we identify the distribution of viable and vulnerable enterprises in Less Favoured Areas. We find five categories of household based on progressive quality of life thresholds, namely i. vulnerable, ii. sustainable, iii. viable, iv. resilient, and v. robust. A proportional odds model measured the effect of biophysical and remote disadvantage on predicting these states of viability, along with farm family lifecycle factors. Whilst we would expect higher proportions of disadvantaged farmland to be negatively related to viability, when combined with rural remoteness this increases the magnitude of the effect. However, clear succession planning and tenancy arrangements suggest that approaches to management of the business and the farm family life-cycle may overcome some of these disadvantages. These results have to be considered against the UK’s planned withdrawal from the Common Agricultural Policy. This offers opportunities to provide a more nuanced approach to targeting and supporting disadvantaged regions beyond current criteria. However, there would seem to be dissonance between the proposed payment for public goods agenda, which is results orientated, and support for correcting natural disadvantages where opportunities for delivery of these public goods will be limited.

Safety Design of a Hybrid Wind-Solar Energy System for Rural Remote Areas in Costa Rica

Although several kinds of energy generation systems have been investigated and introduced in Costa Rica, none were made on systems that use more than one energy source. The present work proposes a safety design of a hybrid wind-solar renewable energy system, designed to cover the energy demand in a governmental free housing at Martina Bustos, Liberia, Costa Rica. Twelve scaled models were designed. These are composed of a pole and one to four solar panels. Two commercial wind turbines, Airdolphin Mark-Zero/Pro and Zephyr 9000 were used to experimentally measure wind force on a wind tunnel at the Wind Engineering Research Center of the Tokyo Polytechnic University. Further, allowable stress design was calculated to determine the tower resistance to local buckling. Present results indicate that towers with 200 mm of the circumference and steel plates with 4.5 mm to 8 mm of thickness are considered safe from local buckling according to Japanese Industrial Standards. Energy generation calculation results show that four of the proposed models generate more than the average energy needed to supply electricity during a year at Martina Bustos to the specific house design.

A CDL-Based Channel Model With Dual-Polarized Antennas for 5G MIMO Systems in Rural Remote Areas

In the fifth-generation 5G mobile networks, it is expected that users experience high throughputs with an ultra-low-latency network, while a massive number of devices are connected to the network. However, in remote rural areas, there is still a large number of people that do not have access to broadband Internet. To overcome this issue, a possible strategy is to exploit the excellent propagation conditions of very high frequency (VHF) and ultra-high frequency (UHF) bands by allowing secondary spectrum reuse in the TV white space (TVWS) channels. But for that, a reliable channel model is required to perform valid coverage and data rate prediction studies. In this paper, a channel model is proposed that takes into account large and small scale fading effects, as well as the particularities of such remote rural areas. The proposed model makes use of measurements along with the clustered delay line CDL profiles from 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is a simple model to implement and can be used to provide fast link and system-level simulations. Numerical and analytical results are provided to validate the proposed model and a data rate evaluation is carried out for single-input single-output (SISO) and multipleinput multiple-output (MIMO) configurations, as well as for single-polarized (SP) and dual-polarized (DP) antennas.

Geographic variation in osteoarthritis prevalence in Alberta: A spatial analysis approach

There is limited evidence on the geographic distribution of osteoarthritis (OA) in Alberta to inform planning of equitable access to health care services. This research aimed to explore the geographic variation in age-sex standardized OA prevalence rates by geographic areas across the rural-urban continuum, and by six-digit postal codes using global Moran's I and hot spot analysis. The results demonstrated a substantially higher OA prevalence rate in Rural Remote (134.7 cases per 1000 population) and Rural (128.5), compared to Metro (107.4) and Urban areas (107.3). Metro-Edmonton had a substantially higher OA prevalence rate (124.4) compared to Metro-Calgary (94.4). OA hot spots were identified in north rural communities and Metro-Edmonton. These variations should be considered when planning programs for health promotion and prevention of osteoarthritis and access to associated health care services. Further research is needed to identify the underlying factors contributing to this geographic variation.

Remoteness, urbanization, and child nutrition in sub‐Saharan Africa

AbstractRural populations face a much higher burden of child undernutrition than urban populations, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa, a continent where many households still live in remote rural areas. Despite this, relatively little research has analyzed nutrition differences across rural and urban populations, or across gradients of rural remoteness. In this article, we study these differences in sub‐Saharan Africa by linking spatial data on travel times to urban centers with 20,000 or more people as our measure of remoteness to Demographic Health Survey data covering 74,398 children from 10,900 communities in 23 countries. We find that children in rural communities have much worse linear growth and dietary outcomes than urban children, but that children in more remote rural communities face only a small nutritional penalty compared to children from less remote communities. Moreover, the harmful effects of remoteness and rural living largely disappear once we control for education, wealth, and social/infrastructural services. This implies that the key nutritional disadvantages faced by rural populations stem chiefly from social and economic poverty. Combating these problems requires a combination of innovative cost‐effective mechanisms for extending basic services to isolated rural communities and facilitating welfare‐enhancing migration to urban areas.

Remote Rural Broadband Systems in Canada

The Rural Remote Broadband Systems (RRBS) program is a unique Canadian initiative to provide broadband access to unserved and underserved regions via fixed wireless service operating on unassigned television frequencies in the 512-608 MHz and 614-698 MHz bands. RRBS operators pay a nominal annual fee to access spectrum and receive a secondary license that offers no guarantee of protection from interference from broadcasting services.In 2011, the year the program was launched, Industry Canada issued 555 licenses for RRBS operations across the country. By 2014, there were 84 RRBS stations in Canada, the majority of which were concentrated in the province of Alberta. In December 2014, Industry Canada placed a moratorium on granting more spectrum licenses for RRBS operations while it examined the potentials of repurposing the 600 MHz band. As of August 2015, there were 52 RRBS stations operating in Canada.This study’s objective is to evaluate the RRBS policy as a method to bring efficient and affordable wireless internet service to remote and rural regions of Canada. This research looks at service providers at the margins of the Canadian wireless industry. Most RRBS providers in Canada are small enterprises that are often run by a few individuals and can have customer bases of less than one hundred. Despite the limited economic potential, early results show RRBS providers remain positive about its possibilities, if given the necessary policy support. This project explores the development of these small enterprises, RRBS business practices, as well as the continued role of the Canadian federal government in developing broadband infrastructures in remote and rural areas. The results of the study include quantitative data collected via surveys of RRBS service providers across Canada, and qualitative information obtained via structured interviews.Among the key questions: What precipitated the enormous drop in interested RRBS providers between 2011 and 2014? Can a secondary licence offer reliable service? Why are so many RRBS providers concentrated in the province of Alberta? What is the role of the federal government in supporting the development of small wireless providers? Is there a viable economic model to provide wireless broadband service in remote regions?This research is the only known study of this unique Canadian wireless broadband initiative. This study contributes to international telecommunication research involving Television White Space and unlicensed spectrum. It will prove valuable for any country with a large hinterland where wired access is a challenge.

Woolsheds, wet weather gear and the West Coast: Social work practice in Taranaki

A paper presented to the ninth Biennial National Rural Remote Social Work Conference, ‘Rural Communities Inspiring Social Care’ held in Geelong, Australia, July 30 to 31, 2009.