School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies
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The School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies research institutes and centres play an important role in specialist teaching and research conducted by academic staff and postgraduate students. This places AUT students at the forefront of much of the ground-breaking research undertaken in New Zealand in the field of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Public Health.
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- ItemBridging Gaps Between Disaster Risk Reduction and Drowning Prevention(Elsevier BV, 2024-04-02) Le Dé, LoïcDrowning is a form of silent and neglected disaster. Hundreds of thousands die every year from drowning, with cumulated fatalities surpassing that of large-scale disasters. However, research on drowning is largely absent from disaster studies and global and national disaster risk reduction policy frameworks rarely mention drowning risk and the related strategies for strengthening water safety. Drowning is mainly framed as a public health issue being studied predominantly by scholars from injury prevention, public health, and medicine. This paper argues that both disaster studies and disaster risk reduction policies have a critical role to play in progressing drowning prevention. It reviews the existing drowning literature and highlights trends, challenges, and opportunities to bridge gaps in knowledge, policy, and practice for reducing drowning risk. The article highlights the strong conceptual underpinnings that characterize both the disaster risk and drowning fields, the need for data sharing, the potential for community-approaches to drowning risk reduction, and ultimately recommends a more systematic integration of drowning in disaster risk reduction initiatives. The paper ends by underlining some of the barriers and requirements to foster collaboration between the disaster risk domains and drowning prevention.
- ItemAn Indigenous-Led Buprenorphine-Naloxone Treatment Program to Address Opioid Use in Remote Northern Canada(Elsevier BV, 2024-09-01) Zuk, Aleksandra M; Ahmed, Fatima; Charania, Nadia; Sutherland, Celine; Kataquapit, Gisele; Moriarity, Robert J; Spence, Nicholas D; Tsuji, Leonard JS; Liberda, Eric NBackground/purpose In response to the opioid use challenges exacerbated from the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN), a remote Cree First Nation community situated in subarctic Ontario, Canada, implemented a buprenorphine-naloxone program. The newly initiated program was collaboratively developed by First Nations' nurses and community leaders, driven by the community's strengths, resilience, and forward-thinking approach. Using the First Nations Information Governance Centre strengths-based model, this article examines discussions with four community leaders to identify key strengths and challenges that emerged during the implementation of this program. Methods this qualitative study amplify the positive aspects and community strengths through the power of oral narratives. We conducted 20 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with community members who helped lead FAFN's COVID-19 pandemic response. Utilizing the Medicine Wheel framework, this work introduces a holistic model for the buprenorphine-naloxone program that addresses the cognitive, physical, spiritual, and emotional dimensions of well-being. Results Recommendations to support this initiative included the need for culturally competent staff, customized education programs, and the expanding of the program. Additionally, there is a pressing need for increased funding to support these initiatives effectively and sustainably. The development of this program, despite challenges, underscores the vital role of community leadership and cultural sensitivity to address the opioid crisis in a positive and culturally safe manner. Conclusion The study highlights the successes of the buprenorphine-naloxone program, which was developed in response to the needs arising from the pandemic, specifically addressing community members suffering from opioid addiction. The timely funding for this program came as the urgent needs of community members became apparent due to pandemic lockdowns and isolation. Holistic care, including mental health services and fostering community relations, is important. By centering conversations on community strengths and advocating for culturally sensitive mental health strategies that nurture well-being, resilience, and empowerment, these findings can be adapted and expanded to support other Indigenous communities contending with opioid addiction.
- ItemUnderstanding the Workforce for Diabetes Management with Māori and Pacific Peoples: Using Tangata Hourua as the Framework Method for Analysis of Qualitative Research(Nga Pae o te Maramatanga, 2024-07-01) Mullane, T; Warbrick, I; Tane, T; Anderson, A; Selak, V; Harwood, MThe aim of the study reported in this article was to explore the experiences of (1) people living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and their whānau, and (2) kai manaaki, community health workers and dieticians who provide care to Māori and Pacific peoples living with T2D in the community. A key objective for this research was for its findings to inform workforce development strategies that will achieve equity for Māori and Pacific peoples with T2D and other long-term conditions. Using the Tangata Hourua framework, a Kaupapa Māori and Pacific research model, the experiences of people enrolled in Mana Tū—a mana-enhancing programme that supports people with poorly controlled T2D to “take charge” of their condition—and their whānau were gathered, analysed and then compared with the experiences of health workers. This approach has yielded new and rich knowledge strongly supporting the view that Māori and Pacific health workers who are based in the community are best positioned to make genuine relationships with Māori and Pacific clients and their whānau.
- ItemAsian Health in Aotearoa New Zealand: Highlights and Actionable Insights(Pasifika Medical Association Group, 2024-08-23) Parackal, S; Holroyd, ECurrently, “Asians” make up 17% of the population in Aotearoa New Zealand. This proportion has doubled since 2013.1 Focus on the health of Asians in Aotearoa New Zealand was first initiated in 2005 through an investigation using the 2002–2003 New Zealand Health Survey data.2 Subsequently, there have been other reports using both health survey3 and administrative health data.4 Asian health in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024 reports trends in various health indicators from the health survey from 2002–2003 to 2021 for the South Asian, Chinese and Other Asian groups separately. Disaggregated data of health indicators are critical to understand the sub-group differences and prevent masking the true state of health due to the effect of averaging.5 The Other Asian group is a concerning mixed grouping of East and Southeast Asians who have differing risks for disease—for example, diabetes.5 This editorial aims to highlight the health status for both children and adults, focussing on health indicators with worrying trends, and provide actionable insights for a way forwards in addressing and improving Asian health in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- ItemKei kōnei Aronui – The Collective Experiences of Mai Ki Aronui, a Māori and Indigenous Doctoral Scholar Support Network(Centre for Global Indigenous Futures, 2024-08-23) Ting, Chien Ju; Heke, Deborah; Elliott, Zena; Faumuina, Cecelia; González, Diana Albarrán; Middleton, Atakohu; Rēnata, Haidee; Waipara, Zac; Wilson, Jani; Uluiyanau, Tammi WilsonKei kōnei Aronui (Aronui is here) is the title of a waiata (song), composed by Jani Wilson (former coordinator of MAI ki Aronui), and is sung when welcoming newcomers into our space – declaring our presence and identity. This collective article presents the narratives of nine scholars affiliated with MAI ki Aronui, a Māori and Indigenous doctoral support network – hosted at Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland University of Technology) in Auckland, Aotearoa (New Zealand). Authors were invited to contribute short narratives or illustrative pieces describing their experience of MAI ki Aronui and their PhD or research journey. These contributions likely represent similar sentiments shared by fellow Māori and Indigenous PhDs. They include a range of creative and conventional vignettes illustrating the experience of being an Indigenous scholar in a western academic institution. The educational pathway for Māori and Pasifika, in Aotearoa has several compounding pressures, resulting in these scholars being amongst a small minority in Aotearoa’s universities. This collaborative article attempts to present the collective experiences of Māori and Indigenous scholars from elsewhere who found a place of belonging and acceptance, beyond the margins of academia and centred within an Indigenous worldview.