Editorial

Summer has started to turn towards autumn and the next issue of European Journal of Physiotherapy is due, filled with exciting papers. To give you, our readers, an insight to the included studies, I present a short description of each.

In this issue, factors for success in the collaborative development of a physiotherapy education programme in Sudan were studied, showing us several important topics in future collaborations between low- and high-income countries. This study also shows that our sense of global responsibility is increasing.

In several countries, the trend in care for older people is to have the older staying in their ordinary homes as long as possible. A study of chronic pain among older women living alone in their homes showed, among other things, that catastrophizing was associated with disability and morale. Thus, this group of people living longer in their ordinary homes possibly needs care that covers all dimensions of the biopsychosocial paradigm.

Furthermore, in the next study, lifestyle changes by health profile assessment in combination with individual support in persons with acquired brain injury were investigated, showing several important health-related changes over time. The World Health Organization has an ongoing process in developing an Action Plan 2014–2021 (1) that is about better health for persons with disabilities, to which this study of lifestyle changes after a brain injury contributes nicely. Also, contributing to the knowledge base of better health for persons with disabilities is a study of children with cerebral palsy and visual impairment, showing the higher impact on their functional skills and their ability in self-care compared with those without visual problems. There is a need for more studies of these kinds.

In this issue, several measurement studies are also included, thus extending our knowledge in the psychometrics of measurements. The following studies in this topic are included; a newly developed functional reach test for measuring balance, inter-rater reliability between an experienced and a novice physiotherapist of an active movement test in the cervical spine by observation, assessment of grip force by muscular components and acceleration.

I hope you enjoy your reading of this late summer issue.