Pacific Island People Research Articles

COVID‐19 and the Marshallese

<scp>COVID</scp>‐19 and the Marshallese

Consumption of financial products amongst vulnerable pacific island people in New Zealand

PurposeThis paper aims to understand the attitudes of young Pacific Island adults towards financial products such as debt and money and explore the cultural elements influencing the financial consumption amongst Pacific Island adults.Design/methodology/approachHermeneutic phenomenology has been used to explore and gain insights into the experiences, thought processes, values and aspirations of young Pacific Island adults with regard to their consumption of financial products.FindingsThe findings identify culture as an influential factor in shaping the participants’ attitudes and financial consumption behaviour. Culture not only enabled the individuals to internalize their values, norms and beliefs but also shaped their way of thinking through the effect of communications.Originality/valueCommunication element within culture is identified as an influential factor in shaping the participants’ attitudes and financial consumption behaviour offering an important insight that social marketers should be aware of and be prepared to address when developing their financial educational programs or any other behavioural change interventions.

Samoan perceptions of travel and tourism mobilities – the concept of Malaga

Tourism is a global phenomenon yet non-Western travel and tourism mobilities are under-researched and lack theoretical development. In the South Pacific, a region which is increasingly receiving geopolitical attention, there is substantial knowledge of inbound tourism but outbound and domestic forms of travel are less known. To understand the travel and tourism mobilities of Samoans, a concurrent mixed methods design of surveys supplemented by interviews with both urban and rural Samoans was employed. Samoan understandings of travel and tourism are expressed via the concept of malaga, which has a range of meanings including ‘migration’, ‘movement’ or ‘travel back and forth’. For Samoans, travel was for cultural and familial purposes, including the maintenance of cultural bonds through fa’alavelave (traditional obligations) and visiting friends and relatives (VFR). The migration of Samoans to various Pacific countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the USA has generated more need for travel and has helped to make mobility a routine aspect of Samoan social life. The travel mobilities of both urban and rural Samoans were influenced by a mix of cultural and familial obligations, leisure and tourism goals, and work-related purposes, blurring the lines between tourism and other forms of mobility. This paper advances knowledge of Samoan forms of travel and tourism mobility, providing important insights into the travel practices of a Pacific Islander people at a time when the South Pacific is becoming a site of intensifying geopolitical competition.

Interventions to prevent or treat childhood obesity in M\u0101ori & Pacific Islanders: a systematic review

BackgroundMāori and Pacific Islander people are a priority population originating from Australasia. Māori and Pacific Islander children exhibit greater risk of obesity and associated morbidities compared to children of other descent, secondary to unique cultural practices and socioeconomic disadvantage. Despite these known risk factors, there is limited synthesised evidence for preventing and treating childhood obesity in this unique population. The objective of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate global prevention or treatment interventions for overweight or obesity that targeted Māori and Pacific Islander children and adolescents (aged 2–17 years).MethodsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The databases PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL were searched from inception to August 2018. Study quality and risk of bias was assessed using a modified Downs and Black Quality Checklist for Health Care Intervention Studies. Studies were included if RCT/intervention/case control/ or prevention study designs. The study group was defined under the search term ‘Oceanic Ancestry Group’.ResultsOf the initial 94 articles identified, six were included describing two prevention and three treatment interventions. Interventions were heterogenous in setting, design, length and outcomes. Four interventions were implemented in New Zealand. Most studies were of ‘fair’ quality. One study recruited an exclusive population of Māori and Pacific Islander participants. In the five studies that recruited mixed populations, one performed sub-group analysis on Māori and Pacific Islander participants. No study reported an improvement in anthropometric outcomes post-intervention in complete or sub-group analysis. Improvements in cardiometabolic or psychological secondary outcomes were inconsistent across all studies.ConclusionsThere is a lack of evidence to recommend specific intervention characteristics to optimise obesity prevention or treatment outcomes for Māori and Pacific Islander children. Future research requires greater consideration of cultural values and beliefs, community engagement, exclusive targeting of Māori and Pacific Islander children and families, and sub-group analyses for mixed-population studies. Incorporating co-design principles during study design and implementation can maximise the cultural specificity of interventions and may contribute to improved health and weight-related outcomes for this at-risk, priority population.Trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42019121790 (26 March 2019).

Imagining the Future of Social and Environmental Accounting Research for Pacific Small Island Developing States

ABSTRACTIn this paper, I contribute to the conversation of imagining the future of Social and Environmental Accounting (SEA) research for Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS). I focus on PSIDS as this region is arguably the most disadvantaged region given its low economic base, geographic isolation and environmental precarity. Initially, I conduct a literature review of accounting-related papers based on PSIDS and provide some suggestions for a research agenda of SEA for PSIDS. The literature review highlights that SEA research in the Pacific is an under-researched area and the few studies on SEA in the Pacific have largely been based on Fiji. For many countries in the Pacific, there is a vacuum of academic literature, however, there is a need to better understand the role of SEA in assisting these island nations address pertinent social and environmental issues, and no issue is as important as climate change. I make some inter-related suggestions for the future of SEA research for PSIDS. These suggestions emphasise the production of knowledge that draws on a diversity of perspectives from other disciplines and focuses on developing solutions based on the context of PSIDS and the lived realities of Pacific Island peoples.

Risk factors for reporting adverse events and for study withdrawal in a population-based trial of vitamin D supplementation

With increasing numbers of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating potential health events of vitamin D supplementation, a better understanding is required of the risk factors for adverse events and for study withdrawals. This analysis aimed to identify baseline risk factors of reporting an adverse event in a multi-year randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation. The secondary aim was to investigate if adverse events were associated with study withdrawals. We analyzed data from the Vitamin D Assessment (ViDA) study: 5110 adults, aged 50–84 years, living in Auckland, New Zealand. Monthly doses of 100,000 IU vitamin D3 or placebo were mailed to participants homes, with a questionnaire to collect data on adverse events and adherence to the study capsule (initially monthly, then 4-monthly). Median follow-up was 3.3 years. Data were analysed using multivariable log-binomial regression and Cox-regression. During the follow-up period, 818 people reported adverse events and 412 withdrew or stopped returning questionnaires. Vitamin D was not associated with reporting of adverse events. Of sociodemographic factors, ethnicity was associated with reporting adverse events: compared to European participants, Maori and Pacific Islander people were more likely to report an adverse event. Non-smokers were more likely to report an adverse event, compared to smokers (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.80; 95%CI = 1.24, 2.62); as were those who had reported a history of depression (adjusted HR = 1.27; 95%CI = 1.01, 1.60) or a recent cough or cold (adjusted HR = 1.22; 95%CI = 1.03, 1.44) at baseline. Reporting of adverse events was not associated with withdrawals (adjusted HR = 1.12; 95%CI = 0.86, 1.46). These data did not identify any clear pattern in the factors associated with self-reported adverse events, which themselves did not increase risk of withdrawals.

Donor approaches to food security in the Pacific: Sustainable development goal 2 and the need for more inclusive agricultural development

As part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, sustainable development goal 2 (SDG2) specifically seeks to ‘End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’. However, there is no clear prescription for how this goal should be achieved which allows various donors adopting diverse strategies to all claim they are contributing to SDG2. This article examines whether policies of five donors on food security and agriculture in the Pacific Islands region are likely to help to achieve SDG2. Fundamentally, the current and future wellbeing of many Pacific Island peoples, many of whom live on small, geographically dispersed islands with limited market access, is strongly tied to their abilities to produce food for themselves. This is somewhat overlooked by bilateral donors from Australia and New Zealand who invest relatively small amounts in the agriculture sector of Pacific countries and show little interest in supporting people's food security through local sourcing and production for subsistence. From an SDG2 perspective of ending hunger for all people, it is positive to see that, by contrast, two multilaterals have shown commitment to a more balanced and holistic approach to food production in the Pacific Islands region.

Identifying hearing care access barriers among older Pacific Island people in New Zealand: a qualitative study

ObjectivesHearing loss is one of the most prevalent conditions affecting older people. In addition, there is little known about the factors influencing the uptake of hearing services among underserved communities....

Climate Change Migration and Displacement: Learning from Past Relocations in the Pacific

It has been projected that the single greatest impact of environmental changes will be on human migration and displacement. Migration has been extensively discussed and documented as an adaptation strategy in response to environmental changes, and more recently, to climate change. However, forced relocation will lead to the displacement of people, and although much has been written about it, very little has been documented from the Pacific Islands perspective, especially by communities that were forced to relocate as a result of colonialism and those that have been forced to migrate today as a result of climate change impacts. Using the Gilbertese resettlement from the Phoenix Islands to the Solomon Islands, in particular, Wagina Island in the 1960s as a case study of forced relocation and displacement of Pacific Islands people during the colonial period, this paper aims to underline some of the important lessons that can be learned from this historical case to inform the present and future challenges of climate change migration and displacement. Without dismissing migration as a coping strategy, the paper argues that the forced relocation of people from their home islands as a result of climate change will lead to displacement. It accentuates that in the case of Pacific Islands, forced relocation will lead to displacement if they are forced to leave their land because of their deep relationship and attachment to it. The paper also emphasizes the need to acknowledge and honor Pacific Islands’ voices and perceptions in discourses on climate change migration and displacement at national, regional and international forums.

Come a Long Way: Bob Marley, Reggae, and Aotearoa / New Zealand Popular Culture

ABSTRACTThis article addresses how representations and reception of Bob Marley and reggae in Aotearoa/New Zealand have changed, with special reference to recent local films and TV. Marley and reggae in New Zealand have always been identified with resistance to colonization by Māori (the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand) and Pasifika (Pacific Island) peoples, but this view simplifies the ways that popular music is mediated and remediated. In 2013, Māori made up 15% and Pasifika 7% of the New Zealand population. Examples include recent film and TV texts by Māori and Pasifika that feature Marley and reggae, none of which highlight protest. Does this change reflect the “mainstreaming” of a radical figure, or something more complex? This essay analyzes Marley as a “star”, as a set of media texts and discourses, and examines how he is currently being remediated, as older electronic and print media interact with digital media. It also looks at how these films position Marley and Māori/Pasifika in relation to New Zealand culture and the history of popular music and film in that country.

A Qualitative Exploration of Fijian Perceptions of Diabetes: Identifying Opportunities for Prevention and Management.

Rates of diabetes are high in many communities of Pacific Island peoples, including people from Fiji. This qualitative study explores knowledge and attitudes towards diabetes among i-Taukei Fijians to facilitate the cultural tailoring of diabetes prevention and management programs for this community. Fijians aged 26 to 71 years (n = 15), residing in Australia, participated in semi-structured interviews; 53% (n = 8) were male. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, then thematically analyzed. Diabetes is recognized as an important and increasing health problem requiring action in the i-Taukei Fijian community. Widespread support for culturally appropriate lifestyle interventions utilizing existing societal structures, like family networks and church groups, was apparent. These structures were also seen as a crucial motivator for health action. Intervention content suggestions included diabetes risk awareness and education, as well as skills development to improve lifestyle behaviors. Leveraging existing social structures and both faith and family experiences of diabetes within the Fijian community may help convert increased awareness and understanding into lifestyle change. Ongoing in-community support to prevent and manage diabetes was also regarded as important. We recommend building upon experience from prior community-based interventions in other high-risk populations, alongside our findings, to assist in developing tailored diabetes programs for Fijians.

Ethnic Inequalities in Psychological Distress: A Population Data Linkage Study on the Pacific Island of Gu\xe5h\xe5n/Guam

Psychological distress and mental illness has been found to be elevated in migrant groups living in sovereign countries, as well as for indigenous people living under colonial or administrative rule. The north Pacific island of Guam is unusual in its ethnic composition as it has no majority ethnic group, has a large indigenous population and remains a territory of the U.S. This study aimed to identify ethnic differences in self-reported psychological distress between the main ethnic groups on Guam. The study uses a cross sectional design with data linkage methodology, drawing on the Guam Census and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System health survey for Guam. The results showed that the native Chamorro population had worse self-reported psychological distress (defined as a ‘mental health condition or emotional problem’) than White/Caucasians (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.52–2.87), particularly for severe distress (OR 3.61, 95% CI 1.33–2.77). This relationship persisted even after adjusting for a wide range of socio-demographic and economic factors (OR 2.58, 95% CI 1.15–5.76). Other Pacific Islanders also had higher psychological distress compared to White/Caucasians, but this association was largely explained by the adjusted factors. The findings are discussed in terms of social and economic disadvantage for Pacific Island peoples on Guam, as well as the impact of colonial administration, disaffection, and lack of autonomy for the Chamorro of Guam. Recommendations are made to improve psychiatric treatment for these groups by considering wider socio-political factors in assessment and treatment, as well as broader implications for the national dialogue on self-determination.

Boosting efficacy of nurse-led stop smoking interventions with a quit and win contest: pilot study results

Background: Grave disparities in smoking prevalence exist between indigenous Māori, Pacific Island peoples, and other New Zealanders. Primary care nurses routinely provide brief stop smoking interventions to achieve national targets but they are constrained by time. Innovations using new technologies offer opportunities to enhance brief interventions and improve uptake and outcomes.Objectives/Aims/Hypotheses: This study explored the feasibility of adding a novel scratch card and internet-based, quit and win contest with mobile phone support messages, to practice nurses’ brief smoking cessation interventions.Design: Pragmatic exploratory mixed methods pilot study comprising a quantitative two-group comparison and qualitative interviews.Methods: In two intervention clinics, practice nurses added supportive mobile phone messages, novelty scratch cards to win online prizes and $1000 prize draw entry following 1 month smokefree, to routine brief stop smoking interventions. In three control clinics, patients who smoked received brief stop smoking interventions only. Practice nurses collected baseline and 1-month data describing patients’ smoking status, quit attempts, and cessation support. Researchers conducted qualitative interviews with two nurses and ten patients and collected 3-month data.Results: Five primary care clinics recruited 67 smokers (37 intervention; 30 control). The contest was readily incorporated into nurses’ practice. It appealed to nurses and Māori and Pacific Island patients, increased time to first cigarette, and attracted first time quitters. However, it had no extra effect on smoking cessation compared with usual care. Pacific Island patients’ participation in the online elements was limited by low access to the internet.Conclusions: While the exploratory study did not indicate the potential for triggering mass quitting, reduced dependency was suggested. The intervention attracted Māori and Pacific Island smokers and engaged first time quitters. Low cost, novelty activities could be used to refresh routine brief stop smoking interventions, and to motivate practice nurses to engage more smokers in quitting.

Multiplexed Nanopore Sequencing of HLA-B Locus in Māori and Pacific Island Samples.

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system encodes the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC). HLA-B is the most polymorphic gene in the MHC class I region and many HLA-B alleles have been associated with adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and disease susceptibility. The frequency of such HLA-B alleles varies by ethnicity, and therefore it is important to understand the prevalence of such alleles in different population groups. Research into HLA involvement in ADRs would be facilitated by improved methods for genotyping key HLA-B alleles. Here, we describe an approach to HLA-B typing using next generation sequencing (NGS) on the MinION™ nanopore sequencer, combined with data analysis with the SeqNext-HLA software package. The nanopore sequencer offers the advantages of long-read capability and single molecule reads, which can facilitate effective haplotyping. We developed this method using reference samples as well as individuals of New Zealand Māori or Pacific Island descent, because HLA-B diversity in these populations is not well understood. We demonstrate here that nanopore sequencing of barcoded, pooled, 943 bp polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons of 49 DNA samples generated ample read depth for all samples. HLA-B alleles were assigned to all samples at high-resolution with very little ambiguity. Our method is a scaleable and efficient approach for genotyping HLA-B and potentially any other HLA locus. Finally, we report our findings on HLA-B genotypes of this cohort, which adds to our understanding of HLA-B allele frequencies among Māori and Pacific Island people.

American culture: A sociological perspectives

The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western origin but is influenced by a multicultural ethos that includes African, Native American, Asian, Pacific Island, and Latin American people and their cultures. American culture encompasses the customs and traditions of the United States. The United States is sometimes described as a "melting pot" in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct "flavors" to American culture. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power. Likewise, its cultural imprint spans the world, led in large part by its popular culture expressed in music, movies and television. The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western culture (European) origin and form but is influenced by a multicultural ethos that includes African, Native American, Asian, Polynesian, and Latin American people and their cultures. The American way of life or simply the American way is the unique lifestyle of the people of the United States of America. It refers to a nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The impact of industrial tuna fishing on small-scale fishers and economies in the Pacific

Industrial fishing for tuna is a major revenue earner in the Pacific Islands region. Capturing more benefits from this fishery is a key priority of Pacific Island country governments and people. Many Pacific countries have done this by allowing transhipping — the transfer of fish from industrial purse-seine fishing vessels to carrier vessels in port. This paper investigates one such port, Funafuti in Tuvalu. Using a unique dataset, the analysis (for the first time) demonstrates that there are a number of negative impacts on small-scale fishers associated with allowing transhipping in port. These negative impacts include lost employment days, reduced catches and, potentially, fresh fish availability and lower incomes within the artisanal fishery. The analysis also demonstrates that there are benefits associated with transhipping, such as spending in local businesses and bycatch off-loads. This paper provides a number of considerations for governments to optimise the benefits from transhipping and minimise costs.

Bronchiectasis in indigenous and non-indigenous residents of Australia and New Zealand.

Bronchiectasis not associated with cystic fibrosis is an increasingly recognized chronic lung disease. In Oceania, indigenous populations experience a disproportionately high burden of disease. We aimed to describe the natural history of bronchiectasis and identify risk factors associated with premature mortality within a cohort of Aboriginal Australians, New Zealand Māori and Pacific Islanders, and non-indigenous Australians and New Zealanders. This was a retrospective cohort study of bronchiectasis patients aged >15 years at three hospitals: Alice Springs Hospital and Monash Medical Centre in Australia, and Middlemore Hospital in New Zealand. Data included demographics, ethnicity, sputum microbiology, radiology, spirometry, hospitalization and survival over 5 years of follow-up. Aboriginal Australians were significantly younger and died at a significantly younger age than other groups. Age- and sex-adjusted all-cause mortality was higher for Aboriginal Australians (hazard ratio (HR): 3.9), and respiratory-related mortality was higher for both Aboriginal Australians (HR: 4.3) and Māori and Pacific Islander people (HR: 1.7). Hospitalization was common: Aboriginal Australians had 2.9 admissions/person-year and 16.9 days in hospital/person-year. Despite Aboriginal Australians having poorer prognosis, calculation of the FACED score suggested milder disease in this group. Sputum microbiology varied with Aspergillus fumigatus more often isolated from non-indigenous patients. Airflow obstruction was common (66.9%) but not invariable. Bronchiectasis is not one disease. It has a significant impact on healthcare utilization and survival. Differences between populations are likely to relate to differing aetiologies and understanding the drivers of bronchiectasis in disadvantaged populations will be key.

American culture: A sociological perspectives

The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western origin but is influenced by a multicultural ethos that includes African, Native American, Asian, Pacific Island, and Latin American people and their cultures. American culture encompasses the customs and traditions of the United States. The United States is sometimes described as a melting pot in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct flavors to American culture. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power. Likewise, its cultural imprint spans the world, led in large part by its popular culture expressed in music, movies and television. The culture of the United States of America is primarily of Western culture (European) origin and form but is influenced by a multicultural ethos that includes African, Native American, Asian, Polynesian, and Latin American people and their cultures. The American way of life or simply the American way is the unique lifestyle of the people of the United States of America. It refers to a nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

EATING IDENTITY: AN EXPLORATION OF FIJIAN FOODWAYS IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PAST

I argue that group identity may be used to address fundamental anthropological concepts that are critical for understanding Pacific Island peoples and their cultures from a long-term perspective. Specifically, I explore foodways as a locus of archaeological material culture through the theoretical lens of materiality. I examine archaeological and ethnographic data that illuminate foodways in the Fiji Islands. The archaeological information derives from four islands and a variety of coastal sites across the Fiji archipelago. I illustrate that in both the past and present food, zooarchaeological remains, and associated material culture may be used to understand social changes and identity as expressed in eating behaviors and patterns in archaeological fauna. By using materiality and a broad comparative frame of reference archaeologists may better understand what it means to be Fijian.

Thinking Globally, Acting Regionally: The Case for a Pacific Climate Treaty

The Model Pacific Climate Treaty presented in this report is a draft model treaty for the Pacific region aimed at averting the multiple threats posed by climate change. The initiative of a Pacific Climate Treaty builds on the momentum of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Although the adoption of this new international climate change treaty marks a major breakthrough in international diplomacy, the advances made with the Paris Agreement are mainly procedural. In contrast, the Model Pacific Climate Treaty contains substantive regional targets that combine climate, development and human rights objectives. For example, the Treaty provides a bold example of the region’s commitment to keeping global temperature rise well below 1.5°C by banning new coal or fossil fuel mines in the territories of State parties. The Model Treaty also contains a clause aimed at securing the perpetual sovereignty and rights of Pacific Island peoples and their territories, in the face of the existential threats posed by climate change to many Pacific Island nations and communities. As for institutions, the Treaty sets up a Pacific Islands Climate Commission to further enhance regional cooperation and promote Pacific leadership in meeting the challenges posed by climate change, and a Pacific Islands Climate Compensation Fund to help facilitate compensation for Pacific Island communities and nations affected by climate change from actors with significant historical responsibility for climate change. Overall, the Treaty is aimed at filling glaring gaps in the protection of those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, while inspiring more ambitious action in other regions and at the global level.