Ethics in Maori research: Working paper

When we think about what we are doing as researchers, one of our main tasks is to acquire knowledge. For some researchers their task begins and ends there. Knowledge is viewed as cumulative, that by adding to some knowledge pool we will one day be able to put the component parts together and discover universal laws. Many researchers also assume that the knowledge they have collected is objective, value-free and apolitical. This is part of psychologists’ ‘physics envy’. A Maori view of knowledge is very different from this. For Maori the purpose of knowledge is to uphold the interests and the mana of the group; it serves the community. Researchers are not building up their own status; they are fighting for the betterment of their iwi and for Maori people in general

A relevância da avaliação para o investimento social privado

O crescente interesse pelo uso estratégico da avaliação de programas e políticas sociais no Brasil tem sido marcado por avanços, mas também por inquietações entre formuladores, gestores e avaliadores sobre suas escolhas metodológicas. Qual método é mais adequado para avaliar este ou aquele programa? Qual abordagem é mais precisa? Que método é mais sensível à realidade social? Que percurso avaliativo é capaz de exercer maior influência sobre a tomada de decisões? Lançando mão de reflexões teórica e casos práticos, somando experiências estrangeiras e brasileiras, o livro oferece respostas a estas perguntas, capazes de alavancar a capacidade de escolher métodos que melhor dialoguem com a realidade social, bem como com suas próprias premissas éticas, políticas e técnicas. Fruto do II Seminário Internacional "A Relevância da Avaliação para o Investimento Social Privado: Metodologias", iniciativa da Fundação Itaú Social, Fundação Roberto Marinho, Fundação Maria Cecília Souto Vidigal em parceria com a Move e apoio do GIFE e da Fundação Santillana, esta publicação é mais uma contribuição para o plural e, cada vez mais consistente, campo avaliativo do País

Age standardisation – an indigenous standard?

The study of inequities in health is a critical component of monitoring government obligations to uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples. In Aotearoa/New Zealand the indigenous Māori population has a substantially younger age structure than the non-indigenous population making it necessary to account for age differences when comparing population health outcomes. An age-standardised rate is a summary measure of a rate that a population would have if it had a standard age structure. Changing age standards have stimulated interest in the potential impact of population standards on disparities data and consequently on health policy

“It feels real good having my own space” – Young Māori mothers in the E Hine study talk about housing

The provision of good quality housing for young families is a key way of supporting health and well-being, and this is especially important for young Māori (Indigenous) mothers and their children, who experience a greater burden of social and health inequities. Low-quality housing can negatively affect health, safety, employment, education, social connectedness and identity. Seeking the views of young Māori mothers is essential for informing initiatives to support access to housing that is responsive to their needs and aspirations for ‘home’. The analysis reported here focuses on the housing journeys of the young women during the last year of participation in E Hine, a longitudinal, qualitative, Kaupapa Māori (by Māori, for Māori) study that followed young Māori women (initially aged 13–19 years) from pregnancy or the early antenatal period (n = 44). The last interviews with the participants were when the young mothers’ babies were 2–3 years old (n = 37). Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, with a focus on housing experiences. With the exception of one young woman and her partner, most of the participants (n = 32) were living with their child(ren) and other adults. Three intersecting themes were developed: (1) ‘Seeking spatial autonomy: The importance of finding one’s own space to parent’ relates to the importance placed, by the young women, on having their own space; (2) ‘Relational beings: The tensions of relational autonomy for young parents’ attends to the desire of the young women for spatial autonomy while still being embedded within support networks; and (3) ‘Material dilemmas: Aspiring to make a “home” during a housing crisis’ explores the material challenges faced by the young women

He tamariki kokoti tau: Families of indigenous infants talk about their experiences of preterm birth and neonatal intensive care

Māori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand) bear an unequal burden of poor perinatal health outcomes, including preterm birth. An infant arriving preterm disrupts the birth imaginary of whānau (family collectives) and situates them in a foreign health environment that may not be culturally safe and nurturing. A cross-sectional interpretative phenomenological analysis of first interviews with 19 whānau participating in a Kaupapa Māori (by, with, for Māori) qualitative longitudinal study of preterm birth identified themes from their experiences and the mean-ings they attributed to them. Preterm birth was an emotional roller coaster, with the birth imaginary and anticipated roles disrupted as health practitioners took over the care of their infants. Whānau expressed the desire to be close to their infants, holding them, loving them, nurturing them, and emplacing them within whakapapa (genealogy, continual layering of foundations) networks. When health practitioners or hospital policies inhibited this intimacy by isolating, excluding, or discrimi-nating, whānau were frustrated. Being familiar with hospital routines, staff, peers, infant cares, and being wrapped in wider whānau support were key for whānau coping. Whakawhanaungatanga (processes of establishing relationships) create safe spaces for whānau to be themselves. This quiet-ens the ‘storm’ and returns whānau to a sense of calm, through the reclamation of their environment

Stability and compatibility of parenteral nutrition solutions; a review of influencing factors

Both stability and compatibility of parenteral nutrition solutions (PNS) with drug products are major concerns for clinicians and clinical pharmacists, especially when concurrent administration of PNS with intravenous medications (IVM) is unavoidable. Since the same physicochemical principles apply to both adult’s and paediatrics’ PNS, concerns about stability and compatibility may still apply to both. However, these concerns are relatively more common in paediatrics and neonatal clinical settings, where limited vascular access can be problematic and the coadministration of PNS and drugs is more common. In neonatal and paediatric populations, there have been few experimental studies and comprehensive evaluations looking at medication compatibility with frequently used PNS. This work is part of a larger research project concerned for compatibility of PNS with commonly used intravenous medication in paediatric and neonates. This paper captures and reviews published data on factors influencing stability and compatibility of parenteral nutrition solutions. This information will help clinicians and clinical pharmacists to understand the principals of the stability and compatibility of PNS, furthermore, it will inform better design of future compatibility studies, as it highlights the complexity of PNS and the multiple factors influencing the stability of PNS, and hence its compatibility with IVM. When preparing, prescribing, and administering the PNS, especially when co-administration with IVM is unavoidable, it is important to take into account the physicochemical properties of the PNS components and IVM as well as administration conditions and environmental factors. These factors should also be considered in the design of the compatibility studies of the PNS with the IVM. </p