The effects of social policy upon the Tongan kainga : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy in Social Policy at Massey University

In New Zealand social policies are continually developed and lived out of a democratic society. Each day the New Zealand airport is busy with a growing number of foreign migrants arriving into New Zealand prepared to start a new life. Many of these migrants are Pacific Islanders who have left their beautiful, unpolluted seaside island and have come to New Zealand with a dream to seek opportunities and resources available to ensure a better quality of life for themselves and their families. Tongan migrants are amongst the many Pacific Islanders who arrive into New Zealand with this dream. This thesis describes the fononga (journey) of Tongan-born parents to New Zealand in the 1970s and their settlement with the birth of their first generation New Zealand-born Tongan children and the impacts of social policies effecting the construction of the Tongan kainga (family). As a practitioner (social worker) and an "inside researcher" within my own Tongan community I know and understand that the kainga (family) is who you identify with and how others identify you. For the purpose of this research, four families; seven individual parents (3 sets of a husband and wife group and one father) and twelve young individuals defined as youth aged between 15-25 years following consent participated in this research. I will present subjectively the conflicting views found as a result of intense qualitative interviewing of Tongan-born parents and their New Zealand-born children (youth) in the same family unit. This research is inclusive of a socio-historical overview of Tongan culture from the creation myth to the introduction of Modern Tonga, the monarchy, the migration of the Tongan-born parents to New Zealand and an illustration of the conflicting worlds that exist between the New Zealand born youth and their Tongan-born parents. This research will look at how social policy development is vital to minimising the gap between the two conflicting worlds

Disadvantaged children at greater relative risk of thinness (as well as obesity): a secondary data analysis of the England National Child Measurement Programme and the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Introduction: Young children living in more disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances (SECs) are at an increased risk of overweight and obesity. However, there is scant research examining the prevalence and social distribution of thinness in early childhood, despite potential negative consequences for health and development across the life-course. Methods: We examined the social gradient in thinness (and overweight and obesity for comparison) for 2,620,422 four-to-five year olds attending state maintained primary schools from 2007/8 to 2011/12, in the England National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), and 16,715 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), born in 2000–2002, and measured at ages of three, five and seven. Children were classified as being thin, healthy weight (and, for completeness, overweight or obese) using international age and sex adjusted cut-offs for body mass index (BMI). Prevalences (and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs)) were estimated, overall, and according to SECs: area deprivation (NCMP, MCS); household income, and maternal social class and education (MCS only). Relative Risk Ratios (RRRs) and CIs for thinness, overweight and obesity were estimated in multinomial models by SECs (baseline healthy weight). In the MCS, standard errors were estimated using clustered sandwich estimators to account for repeated measures, and, for thinness, RRRs by SECs were also estimated adjusting for a range of early life characteristics. Results: In 2007/8 to 2011/12, 5.20 % of four-to-five year old girls (n = 66,584) and 5.88 % of boys (78,934) in the NCMP were thin. In the MCS, the prevalence of thinness was 4.59 % (693) at three, 4.21 % (702) at five, and 5.84 % (804) at seven years. In both studies, and for all measures of SECs, children from the most disadvantaged groups were more likely to be thin than those from the most advantaged groups. For example, MCS children whose mothers had no educational qualifications were fifty percent more likely to be thin (RRR 1.5 (CI: 1.24, 1.8)) than those whose mothers had a degree. These patterns were attenuated but remained after adjusting for early life characteristics. Conclusions: Children from more disadvantaged backgrounds are at elevated relative risk of thinness as well as obesity. Researchers and policymakers should consider environmental influences on thinness in addition to overweight and obesity

Fats and oils in cookery. Cooking temperatures, 14:47

At head of title: ... Department of Household Science