Kris McBain-Rigg
Projects
6
Publications
39
Awards
3
Contact Details
Senior Lecturer
- +61 7 47813477
- kris.mcbain@jcu.edu.au
Biography
- Medical Anthropologist
- Qualitative and mixed methods researcher
- Community based projects, co-design and evaluation of programs
- Curriculum design and leadership
- Citations for teaching excellence
Dr. Kris McBain-Rigg is a Medical Anthropologist dedicated to enhancing culturally competent public health care in underserved populations, emphasising the socio-cultural contexts of these communities. She has taught over 2000 students from diverse backgrounds in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Her focus on demystifying rural and remote health practices has significantly impacted student preparedness and success. Dr McBain-Rigg has published extensively on topics of relevance to rural, remote, Indigenous Australian and underserved populations exploring issues such as cultural barriers to health care, agricultural health and safety, and the inclusiveness of people with disabilities in health policies. She is actively involved in various community-based projects, especially focused on advocating for the inclusiveness of Indigenous perspectives in health policies. Driven by the goal of achieving equitable health care for all, Dr McBain-Rigg continues to shape the field with her innovative approaches, ensuring that health care delivery meets the unique needs of diverse populations.
Research
Research Interests
Qualitative research methods; Ethnographic methods; Anthropology; Public Health; Medical anthropology; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health; Underserved populations; Rural and Remote Health; Community led health initiatives; Evaluation
Projects
Sexual and Reproductive Health Co-design with Pacific Island Nation Farm Workers
17 Mar 2025 - 17 Jun 2025
Aeromedical Retrieval of people with Acute Behavioural Disturbance in Queensland – ELEVATE Study
01 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2025
Lowitja Foundation Grant in Support of PhD Candidate Jenifer Darr
31 Dec 2021 - 31 Dec 2023
Teaching
Teaching Interests
Rural and Remote Health; Indigenous Health; Research Methods; Anthropology; Medical Anthropology; Australian communities
Research Advisor Accreditation
Advisor Type
Primary
Research Advisor Accreditation
Role
Chair; Independent Academic
Taught Modules
[HS2401] Rural and Remote Primary and Public Health CareLecturer, Coordinator
2025
[TM5502] Tropical Public HealthLecturer
2025
[TM5510] Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander HealthLecturer, Coordinator
2025
Current JCU Research Students
Aeromedical Retrieval of People with Acute Behavioural Disturbance
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Accessibility in Australia: Deafhood, the NDIS, and the Medico-Neoliberal Paradigm
Doctor of Philosophy (Society and Culture)
Dying at home: A pragmatic ethnography of family caregivers' experiences of caring for older adult family members
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Advocacy in nursing: challenging the power structures that keep nurses silent
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Health Promotion with Indigenous Australians in North-West Queensland: A Multi-Methods Study
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)
Completed JCU Research Students
An evaluation of progress towards achieving hypertension control in Ghana
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)- 2025
Critical Indigenist examination of the impact on efficiency and sustainability of quality management systems in Aboriginal primary health care
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)- 2024
Incorporating social determinants of health into individual care for people with type 2 diabetes
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)- 2022
Epistemic Erosion: Medical power, knowledge, and authority across a case study of Australian transvaginal mesh complications
Doctor of Philosophy (Society and Culture)- 2025
Impact of health policies and interventions on the sexual and reproductive health outcomes of persons with disabilities in Ghana: a study in the Ashanti region
Doctor of Philosophy (Health)- 2024
Activities
Committees
College Assessment Committee - CPHMVS
2017 - 2019
Education Committee
2017 - 2019
College Curriculum Management Committee - CPHMVS
2017 - 2019
College Curriculum Management Committee - CPHMVS
2016 - 2017
PHTM Learning and Teaching Committee
2019 - 2023
Education
PhD, James Cook University
2007 - 2013
Postdoctoral Fellow, James Cook University
2012 - 2013
Employment
Senior Research Officer, James Cook University
2024 - 2026
Project Manager , James Cook University
2026 - 2026
Associations
Awards
Output
King, Jemma; Downing, Sandra; Topp, Steph; McBain-Rigg, Kris (2018) Public Health Career Development Action Plan: Post Graduate Student Career Development Support and Learning Activities for the Discipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Townsville, QLD, Australia: [Report]
Other Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Franklin, Richard; McBain-Rigg, Kris; King, Jemma (2015) A synthesis and review of Primary Industries Health and Safety Partnership Publications. Canberra, ACT, Australia: [Report]
Other Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Franklin, Richard C.; McBain-Rigg, Kris E.; King, Jemma C.; Lower, Tony (2015) Exploring the barriers and facilitators to adoption of improved work practices for safety in the primary industries. Canberra, ACT, Australia: [Report]
Other Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
McBain-Rigg, Kristin Emma (2011) Who cares?: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care choices and access barriers in Mount Isa. [Thesis] [DOI]
Moral Distress as Subordination by Design: Silence, Containment and the Ethical Erosion of Nursing
2026
Ramsay, Alan; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Hartin, Peter (2026) 'Moral Distress as Subordination by Design: Silence, Containment and the Ethical Erosion of Nursing'. Nursing Inquiry, 33 (3). [DOI]
Penna, Naomi; Hollins, Aaron; Malatzky, Christina; McBain-Rigg, Kris (2026) ''Why Should It Be Different for Rural Women?': Exploring the Lived Experiences of Postnatal Support Received by Mothers in Rural North Queensland'. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 34 . [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Ramsay, Alan; Hartin, Peter; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Birks, Melanie (2025) 'Advocating for patient safety: Power dynamics in nurse advocacy practice in Australia—An integrative review'. Collegian, 32 (2):84-99. [DOI]
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2025) 'Perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities in Ghana: a qualitative study among healthcare providers'. Critical Public Health, 35 (1). [DOI]
Sambah, Francis; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Seidu, Abdul Aziz; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2025) 'Interpersonal Factors Influencing Hypertension Control: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Hypertensive Patients in the Ashanti Region, Ghana'. Health Science Reports, 8 (3). [DOI]
Sambah, Francis; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Seidu, Abdul Aziz; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2025) 'A Qualitative Study on the Barriers and Enablers to Effective Hypertension Management in Ghana'. Healthcare, 13 (5). [DOI]
Sambah, Francis; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Emeto, Theophilus (2025) 'Perceived Barriers to Hypertension Control: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Healthcare Providers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana'. Health Science Reports, 8 (4). [DOI]
Furyk, Jeremy S.; Mcbain-Rigg, Kristin; George, Shane; Phillips, Natalie; Craig, Simon; Franklin, Donna; Watt, Kerrianne; Wilson, Catherine; Borland, Meredith L.; Franklin, Richard; Dalziel, Stuart R.; Schibler, Andreas; Babl, Franz (2025) 'Parent Attitudes to Research Without Prior Consent in Two Pediatric Emergency Clinical Trials in Australia: A Qualitative Study of Transcripts From 2017'. Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, 26 (5):e718-e727. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Sambah, Francis; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2025) 'Healthcare providers and policymakers’ perspectives on enablers and barriers to hypertension management in Ghana: a qualitative study'. Discover Public Health, 22 (1). [DOI]
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O.; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2024) 'Nothing about us, without us: stakeholders perceptions on strategies to improve persons with disabilities' sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Ghana'. International Journal for Equity in Health, 23 . [DOI]
Tom, Vana; King, Jemma C.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin E. (2024) 'Canine Support Program: Student perceptions and preferences at a regional university and implications for health, well-being, and student support enhancements'. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 35 (2):525-533. [DOI]
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O.; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2024) 'Sexual lives and reproductive health outcomes among persons with disabilities: a mixed-methods study in two districts of Ghana'. Reproductive Health, 21 . [DOI]
Henry, Rosita; Ramoutsaki, Helen; Long, Debbi; Acciaioli, Greg; Foale, Simon; Pocock, Celmara; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Wood, Michael (2023) 'Weedy Life: Coloniality, Decoloniality, and Tropicality'. Etropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 22 (1):236-269. [DOI]
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O.; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2023) 'God is my only health insurance: a mixed-methods study on the experiences of persons with disability in accessing sexual and reproductive health services in Ghana'. Frontiers in Public Health, 11 . [DOI]
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O.; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2023) 'A mixed-methods study of the awareness and functionality of sexual and reproductive health services among persons with disability in Ghana'. Reproductive Health, 20 . [DOI]
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O.; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2023) 'Sex Should Not Be Part of the Lives of Persons with Disabilities, but They Are Human Beings Too: Perceptions of Healthcare Providers and Factors Affecting Service Delivery in Ghana'. Healthcare, 11 (7). [DOI]
Frier, Amanda; Devine, Sue; Barnett, Fiona A.; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Dunning, Trisha (2022) 'Incorporating social determinants of health into individual care - a multidisciplinary perspective of health professionals who work with people who have type 2 diabetes'. PLoS ONE, 17 (8). [DOI]
Frier, Amanda; Devine, Sue; Barnett, Fiona; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Dunning, Trisha (2022) 'Improving type 2 diabetes care and self-management at the individual level by incorporating social determinants of health'. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 46 (6):865-871. [DOI]
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz; Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O.; Emeto, Theophilus I. (2021) 'Level of inclusiveness of people with disabilities in Ghanaian health policies and reports: a scoping review'. Disabilities, 1 (3):257-277. [DOI]
Frier, Amanda; Devine, Sue; McBain-Rigg, Kristin E.; Barnett, Fiona A.; Cassady, Zara A.; Dunning, Trisha; Reese, Robyn L. (2021) 'Indigenous Australian perspectives on incorporating the social determinants of health into the clinical management of type 2 diabetes'. Rural and Remote Health, 21 (2). [DOI]
Darr, Jenifer Olive; Franklin, Richard C.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin Emma; Larkins, Sarah; Roe, Yvette; Panaretto, Kathryn; Saunders, Vicki; Crowe, Melissa (2021) 'Quality management systems in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services: a review of the literature'. BMJ Open Quality, 10 (3). [DOI]
Furyk, Jeremy; Franklin, Richard; Watt, Kerrianne; Emeto, Theophilus; Dalziel, Stuart; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Stepanov, Nikola; Babl, Franz E. (2018) 'Community attitudes to emergency research without prospective informed consent: a survey of the general population'. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 30 (4):547-555. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Furyk, Jeremy; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Renison, Bronia; Watt, Kerrianne; Franklin, Richard; Emeto, Theophilus I.; Ray, Robin A.; Babl, Franz E.; Dalziel, Stuart (2018) 'A comprehensive systematic review of stakeholder attitudes to alternatives to prospective informed consent in paediatric acute care research'. BMC Medical Ethics, 19 . [DOI]
McBain-Rigg, Kristin E.; Franklin, Richard C.; King, Jemma C.; Lower, Tony (2017) 'Influencing safety in Australian agriculture and fisheries'. Journal of Agromedicine, 22 (4):347-357. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Furyk, Jeremy; McBain-Rigg, Kristin; Watt, Kerrianne; Emeto, Theophilus I.; Franklin, Richard; Franklin, Donna; Schibler, Andreas; Dalziel, Stuart R.; Babl, Franz E.; Wilson, Catherine; Phillips, Natalie; Ray, Robin (2017) 'Qualitative evaluation of a deferred consent process in paediatric emergency research: a PREDICT study'. BMJ Open, 7 (11). [DOI]
Franklin, Richard C.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin E.; Knight, Sabina M. (2015) 'Factors to be considered in developing occupational regulations for quad bikes in Australia'. Journal of Agromedicine, 20 (3):370-380. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
McBain-Rigg, K.E.; Franklin, R.C.; McDonald, G.C.; Knight, S.M. (2014) 'Why quad bike safety is a wicked problem: an exploratory study of attitudes, perceptions, and occupational use of quad bikes in northern Queensland, Australia'. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 20 (1):33-50. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
McBain-Rigg, Kristin E.; Veitch, Craig (2011) 'Cultural barriers to health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Mount Isa'. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 19 (2):70-74. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Felton-Busch, C.M.; Solomon, S.D; McBain, K.E.; De La Rue, S. (2009) 'Barriers to advanced education for Indigenous Australian health workers: an exploratory study'. Education for Health: change in learning and practice, 22 (2):1-7.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Reeve, Carole A.; De La Rue, Stephanie; McBain, Kristin E.; Solomon, Shaun; Felton-Busch, Catrina (2008) 'Indigenous Lifescripts: A tool for modifying lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease'. Australian Family Physician, 37 (9):750-754.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Ramsay, Alan; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Hartin, Peter (2026) 'When Experience Is Not Enough: Critical Methodologies and Nursing Workforce Scholarship' Nursing Inquiry, 33 (3) . [DOI]
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Queensland agriculture, forestry and fishing Work Health and Safety prosecutions: repercussions
2021
King, Jemma C.; Franklin, Richard C.; McBain-Rigg, Kris E.; Leggat, Peter A. (2021) 'Queensland agriculture, forestry and fishing Work Health and Safety prosecutions: repercussions' Injury Prevention, 27 (Supplement 2) :A72-A72. [DOI]
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Furyk, Jeremy; McBain-Rigg, Kris; Renison, Bronia; Watt, Kerrianne; Emeto, Theophilus; Ray, Robin; Dalziel, Sturt; Franklin, Richard (2016) 'Protocol: a comprehensive systematic review of alternatives to prospective informed consent in paediatric emergency research' PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, 1 :1-4.
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Peachey, Louis G.; McBain-Rigg, Kristin (2011) 'The challenges of remote area medical education' Medical Journal of Australia, 194 (10) :495-496.
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU
Peachey, Louis G.; McBain, Kristin E.; Armstrong, Ruth M. (2006) 'Indigenous Health: burden or opportunity?' Medical Journal of Australia, 184 (10) :483-484.
Journal Contribution
ResearchOnline@JCU