Building a Pacific health workforce in New Zealand: Initial findings from a transition project in first year health sciences at university. A Practice Report

Pacific peoples are a migrant minority ethnic group in New Zealand. They suffer disproportionately from poor health and education outcomes compared to the total population, and share similar socio-economic challenges with Māori the indigenous people of New Zealand. Improving education outcomes can contribute to improving health outcomes. Pacific peoples are poorly represented in the health workforce. The Pacific Orientation Program at Otago (POPO) initiative is a new program seeking to provide a holistic approach to improving academic outcomes for Pacific students in health sciences in New Zealand. The program involved setting up systems for support, monitoring performance and addressing concerns early in the first year at university. This article outlines the development of the program, lessons learnt, and early indications of its usefulness in improving academic outcomes for Pacific students studying first year health sciences at university. </p

Relationships between health and culture in Polynesia - A review

This review of journal articles and book chapters discusses the health beliefs characteristic of Polynesia and reveals several themes. These are: commonality in health conceptualisations across the cultures of the region which differ from the conceptualisations of biomedicine; the role of the relational self, traditional living and communalism in understanding health; the place of spirituality and religion in health and illness causation; and pluralism and pragmatism in health-seeking behaviour. Suggestions are made as to how awareness of key ideas might contribute to effective planning of health promotion and intervention activities.Polynesia Pacific Health beliefs Culture Oceania Health promotion Review

Relationships between health and culture in Polynesia - A review

This review of journal articles and book chapters discusses the health beliefs characteristic of Polynesia and reveals several themes. These are: commonality in health conceptualisations across the cultures of the region which differ from the conceptualisations of biomedicine; the role of the relational self, traditional living and communalism in understanding health; the place of spirituality and religion in health and illness causation; and pluralism and pragmatism in health-seeking behaviour. Suggestions are made as to how awareness of key ideas might contribute to effective planning of health promotion and intervention activities

Pacific peoples three months after injury: a comparison of outcomes between Pacific and non‐Pacific participants in a NZ cohort study

Abstract Objectives: To: describe pre‐injury characteristics of Pacific (n=239) and non‐Pacific (n=2,611) participants and compare their outcomes three months after injury. Methods: Participants were New Zealand residents aged 18–64 years referred to the Accident Compensation Corporation's injury entitlement claims register. Univariate and multivariable analyses compared pre‐injury and injury‐related characteristics of Pacific and non‐Pacific people and assessed the unadjusted and adjusted relative risks for selected outcomes. Results: Of the 2,856 participants, 239 identified at least one Pacific ethnicity. Adjusted relative risks (aRR; 95% confidence intervals) for Pacific peoples, with the non‐Pacific group as the reference, indicate Pacific peoples were: less likely to have no/lesser problems with disability (aRR=0.82; 0.70,0.95); less likely to have no problems with EQ‐5D self‐care (aRR=0.88; 0.80,0.98); less likely not to report EQ‐5D anxiety/depression (aRR=0.84; 0.76,0.93); and less satisfied with social relationships three months after injury (aRR=0.89; 0.83,0.95). Conclusions: Evidence does not suggest Pacific peoples’ likelihood of paid employment differs from non‐Pacific people three months after injury. However, Pacific peoples appear to have an increased likelihood of problems with disability, self‐care, anxiety/depression and social relationships. Implications: This study provides information about a range of previously unknown outcomes following injury for Pacific peoples in New Zealand, and suggests areas of possible focus for health and rehabilitation service providers and policy‐makers interested in improving outcomes for injured Pacific peoples

Additional file 1: of Training a medical workforce to meet the needs of diverse minority communities

Pacific Immersion Programme Questionnaire – (Before). Medical students knowledge and views of Pacific people, health and culture before the Pacific Immersion Programme. (PDF 600 kb