Lay summary
I am an I-Kiribati student and part-time junior data analyst focused on improving access to quality health services, specifically for disadvantaged groups and communities that experience major health inequities. Very little is known about the culture and it remains one of the most underresearched groups in New Zealand.
The aim of my research will look into the sociocultural factors that lead to obesity among Kiribati women in New Zealand. A Talanoa approach will be used to explore the value of food security, investigate the sociocultural meaning of food, and investigate the sociocultural dimensions of body size perception and self-perception of obesity for Kiribati women.
The findings from the study can be used to challenge current Western-based knowledge and guide interventions/initiatives/frameworks and policies targeted at reducing obesity, to become more culturally appropriate and equitable for the wider Pacific.