The HRC, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, has announced a $1.3 million investment for four projects that will support Pacific peoples and communities to be healthy and increase health knowledge and understanding among Pacific communities. These projects also represent a coordinated approach to Pacific health research, with the research funds supporting the development of the Pacific health research workforce.
A research team led by Dr Ridvan Firestone will undertake in-depth interviews with young Pacific people aged 16-24 years on the cultural-social realities related to pathways of obesity. Following this, the research team will then train these young people to conduct similar interviews with their parents and grandparents. This second phase of the research will provide information about familial and cross-generational ideas relating to historical-cultural contexts of food and understanding of the socialisation patterns relating to food and body size.
Dr Firestone’s study focuses on young people who make up a significant proportion of the Pacific population and addresses the current lack of information available on obesity and pre-metabolic risk factors for this age group.
Dr Gerhard Sundborn’s pilot study aims to increase the health knowledge of youth about sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and their relationship to unhealthy weight gain in the West Auckland suburb of Kelston, which has a high Pacific population.
The study includes an initial survey of children’s knowledge and consumption of SSBs; exploration of opportunities to modify/develop SSBs policy; an assessment of educational opportunities; and a student-partnered social marketing exercise. The community organisations and retail arms of the project will focus on establishing healthy beverage policies throughout the community. School children will be re-surveyed at the end of this study to determine changes in their knowledge and consumption of SSBs.
Dr Ofa Dewes will investigate how to implement weight management guidelines for Pacific peoples in a culturally-centred community-based setting. Her research aims to reduce the prevalence of the overweight and obese in Pacific populations. This study will promote individual health and well-being, while reducing inequality and the financial burden to public health funding for treating and managing preventable illnesses such as type 2 diabetes.
Dr Dewes will also work in collaboration with researchers from the universities of Otago, Auckland, and Hawai’i in order to provide opportunities to grow the local capacity and capability of Pacific health researchers.
The aim of Dr Jemaima Tiatia’s research is to engage Pacific communities to develop new understandings and approaches for suicide prevention for Pacific youth in New Zealand. Dr Tiatia aims to find out what contributes to Pacific youth suicide and what solutions Pacific communities can offer towards advancing Pacific-focused suicide prevention strategies.
This research will build community knowledge around suicide, enhance understandings, destigmatise the issue, empower Pacific communities and expose gaps in current public health understandings of Pacific suicide.
Pacific Health Research Partnerships
Dr Ofa Dewes, Auckland UniServices Limited
A lifestyle intervention model to address obesity and type 2 diabetes in Pacific
24 months, $594,434
Dr Ridvan Firestone, Massey University, Wellington
Chewing the facts on fat! What does that say about me?
24 months, $315,728
Dr Gerhard Sundborn, Auckland UniServices Limited
‘Healthy beverages’ for Kelston youth: A community partnered initiative
17 months, $109,367
Dr Jemaima Tiatia, Auckland UniServices Limited
Suicide prevention for Pacific youth in New Zealand: Pacific community solutions.
20 months, $289,437