Lay summary
The leading cause of death and hospitalisation among New Zealand children over one-year-old is injuries. These rates have shown modest declines in recent years, but Pacific children experience disproportionately high rates of serious Injury. Paradoxically, their rates of Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) claims for post-injury support are lower than their Pākehā peers, suggesting significant unmet needs and barriers to care. This is supported by previous qualitative research undertaken by the investigators, which demonstrated systematically greater challenges experienced by Pacific and Māori families compared with Pākehā accessing healthcare services for injured children. This research uses a mixed-methods approach to gather insights that can help address barriers, drawing on a) a cohort study to quantify the long-term health and psychosocial wellbeing of children surviving injuries, and b) talanoa using the fa’afaletui framework to understand the lived experiences of Pacific families accessing healthcare services for child injury/trauma compared to non-Pacific families.