Dear Editors, Thorpe and colleagues (2014) offer a pertinent review of the literature and qualitative insight into an Aboriginal community sporting team and it's environment on the social, emotional and physical wellbeing of young Aboriginal men. Extending to the identification of barriers and motivators for participation. The impressive prospective outcomes highlighted within the article ranged from racism and discrimination through to health. There are many parallels in Thorpe's work that also emerge in Long et al's (2009) study of the literature on black and minority ethnic (BME) communities in sport and physical recreation in the UK. Disparities in patterns of participation, experiences of racism, and institutionalised attitudes manifest by players, practitioners and policymakers were merely some of the themes relating to barriers and constraints for BME groups. For us the conclusion that, participation in sporting environments with strong social networks, which reinforce cultural identity and pride, enhances the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people needs to be further examined. Thorpe and colleagues (2014) assessment of the role of the football club is something that we wish to explore further. In some senses the club, at least for the men, facilitated a number of positive outcomes that are worthy of further examination in regards to the chain of causation and consideration of process. Thorpe's argument reads in key places as a case of post hoc ergo propter hoc [after this (outcome) because of this (the club)]. The question for us is, can Thorpe conclude that football is ideally placed for these health promotion interventions that support health benefits, identity, cultural and communty cohesion or can we take more from this that the most important thing for Aboriginals is the bringing together of the community around shared enthusiasms because of its psychological potential for protection from racialised psychological harm? This then becomes the major catalyst for subsequent rather than consequent positive health benefits of being in a club. If Thorpe and colleagus (2014) were to consider their research from a different perspective that considered how social capital manifest itself, then they might draw out some insightful commentary on how sport can reinforce exclusion between groups and promote positive health messages at the same time. This contradicts dominant policy discourses. While playing in predominatly Aboriginal teams/settings, they were not only more conspicuous as targets for bigotry but they also used sport as a form of resistance. In this case the Aboriginal respondents emphasise the racialised processes that forced them to self-exclude from predominantly white teams/clubs, due to the oppression of racism. This process reflects the same strategies used by black migrants in Ireland who experienced similar forms of racialised barriers (Hylton, 2011). As a result, their self-exclusion and recourse to 'safe spaces' factor into their 'choice' of physical or leisure activities and hint at pos...

Health inequities inhibit global development and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. One gendered health area, Menstrual Health & Hygiene (MHH), has received increasing attention in Low- and Middle-Income Countries as a barrier to health, wellbeing, and gender equity. Recent anecdotal evidence in Australia highlights that MHH also present challenges to High Income Countries, particularly among underrepresented populations, such as Indigenous Australian peoples, people from low socio-economic backgrounds, or communities that are remotely located. In this article, we chart the emergence of attention to MHH in the Australian context and highlight key considerations for the conduct of research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples within the culturally- and gender-sensitive area of MHH. Further we draw on insights offered by a partnership between female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, NGO stakeholders, and non-Indigenous researchers. Through a convening (yarning circle) held in March 2018, the group identified multiple socioecological considerations for MHH research and practice, including: affordability and access to menstrual products, barriers to knowledge and culturally sensitive education, infrastructure and supply chain challenges, and the necessity of Indigenous-led research and community-driven data collection methods in addressing the sensitive topic. We draw together these insights to develop recommendations for future research, advocacy, and action in Australia.

Australia has committed to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) goals under the UN's 2030 Agenda. However, these goals may not be fully achieved in Australia under current policy settings. Australia reports success in achieving the goal for quality and access to safe drinking water and sanitation (SDG 6), though for Australians living in remote Indigenous communities, the experience is very different. Furthermore, the burden of disease is higher in remote communities (SDG 3). Many of these diseases are waterborne or hygiene-related, including prevalence in some remote Indigenous communities of endemic trachoma eye infection, preventable through access to functioning water services and available soap. This research provides a case for identifying, then understanding the interlinkages between SDGs 3, 6, and others locally, as well as nationally. This will enable governments to enact policies for long-term sustainable solutions for remotely-located and marginalised peoples in Australia in line with Agenda 2030 commitments.

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