Global status of chiropractic education research and scholarly publications: a scoping review

Objective: This scoping review aimed to map the volume (number of studies) and nature (topics and designs) of chiropractic education research and scholarly publications on chiropractic learners and programs worldwide. Introduction: Despite the expansion of the chiropractic profession and its recognition by entities such as the World Health Organization, a gap exists in comprehending the international landscape of chiropractic education. No prior studies have systematically mapped the volume and nature of chiropractic education research and scholarly publications. A scoping review of chiropractic education research and scholarly publications is needed to guide future policy development, research agendas, and educational initiatives within the chiropractic profession. Inclusion criteria: Publications in the indexed literature on chiropractic students, graduates, academics, and programs in any chiropractic education setting were included. Studies focused on chiropractic programs and education for chiropractic students or chiropractors worldwide were considered for inclusion. All research designs, literature reviews, descriptive studies, and commentaries were included. Methods: This scoping review was conducted according to JBI methodology for scoping reviews and was reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The databases PubMed (NLM), Scopus, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Index to Chiropractic Literature, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, and Educational Resources Information Center were searched from their inception to November 5 and 6, 2023, with no language limits. Data were extracted for primary topics,study designs, and regions of the included documents and entered in Covidence by paired independent reviewers. The findings were organized into figures and tables with a narrative description. Results: The search identified 7494 documents. After deduplication, 5041 were screened for relevance, of which 667 were selected for full-text review. From these, 598 were selected for data extraction. The chiropractic education topics included values/ethical competence (n=3),personal/behavioral competence (n=34), knowledge and cognitive competence (n=49), functional and clinical competence (n=93), and program-relevant research (n=419). Most designs were quantitative (n=391), followed by descriptive reports(n=91), qualitative (n=43), mixed methods(n=40),commentaries (n=22), and literature reviews (n=11). Chiropractic education was most studied in the United States(n=359), Australia (n=116), and Canada (n=106). Conclusions: This scoping review reports the volume and nature of indexed publications relating to chiropractic learners and programs worldwide. This body of literature contains learner competencies in knowledge, skills, and attitudes, as well as studies about chiropractic programs. The increasing number of publications and proportion of study designs over time show that chiropractic scholars and programs are engaged in collecting, analyzing, and distributing data relevant to education and training. The map of professional competencies in the chiropractic education literature shows that the profession possesses the fundamental traits needed to contribute to the global health care workforce

Comparing consecutive third-year Chiropractic Student cohorts: A successful evaluation of the Paired Junior Clinic programme

Introduction: A survey was conducted among third-year chiropractic students to evaluate the substantive effectiveness of junior clinical placements in preparing them for final-year clinical placements. The study aimed to assess the feelings towards perceived readiness and confidence levels of students who participated in the junior clinic program compared to those who did not. Methods: The entire third-year cohort consisting of 166 students, including 42 students involved in junior clinical placements, completed an eight-question survey. Participants in the junior clinic program and non-participants were compared to determine differences in feelings towards perceived clinical preparedness. Results: Students who participated in the junior clinic placements reported significantly higher levels of preparedness and confidence for their final-year clinical placements than non-participants. Conclusion: The survey results showed the importance of junior clinical placements in enhancing the clinical readiness of chiropractic students in preparation for their final-year clinical placement. As indicated by the data collected, the success of these placements suggests that junior clinical placements play a critical role in developing clinical competence. Indexing terms: Chiropractic; Education; Junior Clinic; Student confidence; Student preparedness; Student readiness

Acculturation and healthcare access among labour migrants: A systematic review

Acculturation plays a significant role in migrant health. However, there has been little synthesis of the relationship between migrants’ acculturation and healthcare access. This systematic review examines how acculturation is measured and its relationship with healthcare access among labour migrants. A systematic search of primary research studies (January 2000-July 2024) was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science using predefined MeSH terms and keywords. Records were screened by two independent reviewers and data were extracted on study characteristics, the measures of acculturation, healthcare access outcomes, and covariates. Assessment of study quality was done using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale. Results were reported following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42024532204). Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria for final analysis. Four main acculturation proxies influencing labour migrants’ access to healthcare were identified: length of stay, proficiency in local languages, country of origin, and immigration status. Longer residency and higher local languages proficiency were associated with better healthcare access. The influence of the origin country varied by migrant group. Irregular immigration status negatively affected healthcare access, with undocumented migrants having the poorest access. The identification of key acculturation proxies suggests targets for inclusive policies that improve specific areas of acculturation to increase equitable healthcare access for labour migrants. Future research is needed in low-and middle-income destination countries, incorporating validated instruments of acculturation, longitudinal studies, and the exploration of other contributing factors for a greater understanding of the acculturation process

Leadership and Capacity Building in International Osteopathic Research: introducing Strengthening Osteopathy Leadership and Research (SOLAR) Program

Research evidence has become the foundation of modern health services. Health professionals rely on sound research to provide safe and effective care for patients, for the development of innovative diagnostic and treatment practices and to develop policies supporting the provision of optimal healthcare. Osteopathy is an established profession with an emerging research evidence base. The Strengthening Osteopathic Leadership and Research (SOLAR) program is a recent international initiative aiming to further build the evidence base and research capacity of the osteopathy profession. The program was developed by The Australian Research Consortium in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) at the University of Technology Sydney (Sydney, Australia) and funded primarily by Osteopathy Australia, with the support from the Osteopathic Foundation (UK), Osteopaths New Zealand (NZ), Unite Pour l’Osteopathie (France), and Svenska Osteopatförbundet (Sweden). This paper describes the origins, objectives and features of the SOLAR program and outlines the importance of the program for future research and practice in the osteopathy profession. From its beginnings in 2022, to date, the SOLAR program has been highly successful, producing a substantial collection of concrete research and presentations, while enhancing the Fellows’ capacity and confidence as leaders, both in osteopathy and the broader healthcare environment

What are the commonly available street foods in Malaysia?

Variety types of street foods that are available in other Asian, African, and European countries has been scientifically studied due to the nutritional contribution. The foods in these studies vary from local to non-local foods, and from homemade to industrial foods being prepared as street foods. Although street food has become a phenomenon in Malaysia, there is limited research that identifies the different types of street foods that are available in this country. Hence, this study aims to identify 820 types of street foods that are commonly available in Malaysia, the classification of the foods prepared as street foods for three food categories, and the preparation methods used. We conducted a field survey of street food stalls in all 14 states of Malaysia using a survey form. Then, the surveyed street foods were ranked from the highest to lowest frequency by food category for each state and the whole of Malaysia. From a total of 10 520 surveyed street foods across all states, there were 820 different types of street foods in the whole of Malaysia which comprised of 42.6 % main meals, 35 % snacks, and 22.4 % desserts. Most of the main meals and desserts were classified as local cooked dishes (80.2 %) and local desserts (84.2 %), respectively. Snacks were classified as local cooked dishes (35.5 %), local snacks (28.6 %), and processed foods (20.3 %). Most of the street foods were prepared by steaming (23.2 %) and deep-frying (21.1 %). In this study, the commonly available street foods in Malaysia existed in wide range of options and preparation methods

Evaluation of queue management system (QMS) use in chest x-ray for tuberculosis screening: a case study

Background Tuberculosis (TB) remains a threat to public health globally and is one of the top infectious killer diseases in Africa and Asia. The government and international partners have strategically intervened by cascading chest radiography (CXR) to identify, manage, and monitor treatments outcomes. However, patient have reportedly been dissatisfied with the quality of CXR screening services provided, raising complains that spans across quality of care, waiting times, communication levels, staff attitudes, and treatment outcomes. Aim, Settings, and Design Coming at this present time when the major focus in health care is on improving patients’ care and experience, this study aims to ascertain the performance of queue management system (QMS) use for CXR-TB screening in Nigeria as well as its acceptability; adopting quantitative research design. Materials and Methods Questionnaires were administered face-to-face to the three categories of respondents (radiographers, radiology assistants, and patients) who meet the specific set of inclusion criteria, following a brief explanation about the research aim. Consent was gotten by way of a signed consent form and ethical approval obtained. A Likert 5-point scale was utilized in analyzing the responses, undergoing descriptive statistics using SPSS (version 25) software. Results QMS is extremely useful in workflow, accuracy, communication, combatting work stress, and maintaining privacy, but with accompanying occasional technical challenges. A remarkable preference for QMS to manual in CXR-TB screening was noted among all research subjects, with strong level of agreement (close mean values of 4.06, 3.81, 3.91; standard deviation of 0.70, 0.73, 0.60). Conclusion Findings from this study uncover the vital role the QMS plays in improving the quality of CXR-TB screening services, demonstrating great acceptabilit

Investigating the trustworthiness of randomised controlled trials in osteopathic research: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Objective To systematically investigate trustworthiness (methodological rigour, transparency, good governance, research integrity, and absence of misconduct) in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of osteopathic manual therapy. Methods This prospectively registered review (PROSPERO-ID: CRD42023457697) searched MEDLINE®, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PEDro, ostmed.dr, and Chiroindex for RCTs evaluating osteopathic treatments (January 2021-June 2024). Risk-of-bias was assessed using Cochrane tool 2, while trustworthiness was assessed with the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Screening Tool and the REAPPRAISED checklist. Journal trustworthiness, misleading representations in abstracts (‘spin’), and results plausibility (via meta-analysis) were also assessed. Findings were synthesised descriptively. Results Sixty-one RCTs were included (median sample size 45, IQR 30-76), largely studying healthy volunteers (29%). Most had high risk-of-bias (74%), and only 7% acknowledged potential conflicts from authors’ professional ties. No journals appeared on cautionary lists, although 23% of articles were published within two months of submission. Only 27% of contactable authors engaged with reviewers. Seven abstracts (12%) were free of spin. Methodological concerns included poor missing data handling (31%), selective analyses (38%), unacknowledged multiple testing (36%), and outcome switching (12%). Meta-analysis found two outliers and five further with very large effects, while 19% provided inadequate data for pooling. Limitations Limitations include incomplete reports and lack of validated trustworthiness assessment tools. Conclusion Adherence to best practices in osteopathic RCTs needs improvement to enhance evidence-based decision making, reduce research waste, and enhance reproducibility. Further research should explore whether these findings apply to other small, under-resourced fields

Physioethology: a post-humanist perspective on physiotherapy

Physiotherapy faces mounting challenges in an era of planetary crisis. This paper proposes a reorientation of physiotherapy through the philosophy of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, specifically their concept of ethology, which foregrounds affect, relation, and immanence. We argue that contemporary physiotherapy remains tethered to anthropocentric, essentialist, and representational assumptions that limit its capacity to respond to complex ecological entanglements. Drawing on ethology, we explore how bodies, human and non-human, can be understood not as stable entities but as dynamic assemblages defined by what they can do. We consider the implications of this approach for practice, education, and planetary health, suggesting that physiotherapy shift from its traditional forms of praxis toward a dynamic composition of capacities. In doing so, the profession might cultivate an ecologically attuned, affectively sensitive, and experimentally oriented practice capable of engaging in the world

Effects of manual osteopathic interventions on psychometric and psychophysiological indicators of anxiety, depression and stress in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objectives To evaluate whether osteopathic and related manual interventions improve adult mental health (depression, anxiety, stress) and psychophysiological measures (eg, heart rate variability, skin conductance). Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Data sources PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus, Cochrane, and AMED, searched through September 2024. Eligibility criteria English-language RCTs with ≥30 participants investigating osteopathic or related manual therapies (eg, myofascial release, highvelocity low-amplitude thrusts) delivered by qualified practitioners, compared with no treatment or sham, and reporting immediate postintervention mental health or psychophysiological outcomes. Data extraction and synthesis Full-text screening, riskof-bias assessment and data extraction were conducted independently by multiple reviewers using a standardised Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Extraction Form. Risk of bias was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. For meta-analyses, Hedges’ g (with 95% CIs) was calculated from postintervention means and SD. Randomeffects models accounted for heterogeneity, and prediction intervals were calculated to assess uncertainty in effect estimates. Results 20 RCTs were included. Osteopathic interventions reduced depression (Hedges’ g=−0.47, 95% CI: −0.86 to –0.09, p=0.02) and increased skin conductance (Hedges’ g=0.67, 95% CI: 0.00 to 1.34, p=0.05). Depression improvements were greater in pain populations (Hedges’ g=−0.61, 95% CI: –1.06 to –0.17, p=0.01). However, wide prediction intervals and moderate heterogeneity indicate uncertainty in true effect sizes, and limited studies and sample sizes restrict assessment of publication bias. Conclusions Osteopathic and related manual therapies may reduce depression and influence certain psychophysiological markers, particularly in pain populations, but uncertainty and heterogeneity limit confidence. More rigorous, larger, and longitudinal RCTs are needed