Pacific Health

Adult facilitators creating a space for children to co-design a toothbrushing game for improved oral health

Daniel Fernandez — 2024-12-02

Introduction: The Pacific region has a serious problem of child dental caries, with negative health consequences. Urgent action is needed, including effective prevention in the form of toothbrushing. Efforts to encourage children to brush their teeth have focused on the idea that they have inadequate knowledge and motivation about oral health. However, contemporary health promotion theories indicate that ‘nudging’ or persuasion, and health promotion as ‘edutainment’ are also important strategies. In the case of oral health promotion for children this could include fun activities, such as the use of games.

The internet provides many tools and a platform for digital games to be created and accessed. This offers opportunities for children to be involved in co-designing and using digital games creating personalised approaches to oral health promotion. Adults are likely to play an important role in facilitating the process. This research project aimed to explore ideas about the role of adults as educational facilitators creating a space for children to be involved in the co-design of a digital toothbrushing game.

Methods: Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods were employed in this research emphasising partnership, creativity, and empowerment between researched and researcher offering a good fit with the project. Seven young adults, aged 21 – 30, were invited to undertake two PAR workshops to develop ideas for facilitating toothbrushing game co-design with children.

Results: The views and perspectives of the adult facilitators centred around five themes: What is a game? Introducing children to games; creating a space for children; children-centred membership; making learning fun and gainful for children. The themes emphasize creating a child-centred space where children’s voices and views in co-designing games are heard and respected.

Conclusion: The study proposed that collaborating with children in a partnership setting provides opportunities for adult facilitators to address power imbalances and foster a child-centred approach to oral health promotion activities. Child-centred approaches, including co-design and use of digital tools and games, where children participate in partnership and express their views and voices in oral health programmes, should be further explored.

Keywords: Participatory action research, child co-design, toothbrushing game, oral health promotion, school oral health, child digital prosumers, serious games

‘O le toe Fa’amoemoe ‘o le ‘Aiga - A Family’s Last Hope

Peter Huggard — 2024-12-03

Introduction: In general, populations worldwide are aging with non-communicable diseases more likely to affect the elderly; and this group is prone to suffer from more than one chronic condition often resulting in complex clinical and psychosocial situations. As a result, the need for hospice and palliative care services will increase. However, Pacific people prefer to be cared for at home by their family, and they are therefore less likely to access and use hospice and palliative care services. There is limited evidence as to why there is less use of hospice and palliative care services, and there is a gap in strategies aimed at improving access within a Pacific context. This aligns with a poor understanding of the availability of health services more generally within a Pacific context. This research explores the understanding of these services by Samoan female family caregivers who cared for an elderly relative diagnosed with a life limiting condition, in Auckland, New Zealand.

Methods: Qualitative methodology was used, and was underpinned by two approaches: Talanoa, and Constructivist Grounded Theory. Participants were interviewed and the data was subjected to thematic analysis.

Results: Findings from the research acknowledge the importance of understanding cultural beliefs and values, and the relationship between these and the understanding and utilization of, hospice and palliative care services.

Conclusion: Several opportunities are identified to enhance engagement by Samoan families with these services.

Working in the Gorse: Criticality in Rehabilitation Healthcare Education in Aotearoa|New Zealand

Mershen Pillay — 2024-11-11

Globally, the dominant forms of rehabilitation healthcare education take a positivistic, scientific approach that views the body mechanistically, disability as a deficit, and Western worldviews as superior to others. However, privileging these approaches occludes other important ways of understanding bodies, health, and rehabilitation. In response to these limited yet pervasive ways of constructing our disciplines, we urge rehabilitation healthcare educators to enact “criticality.” A critical perspective helps students think critically about their learning at a political and sociocultural level. As evidence of how this criticality opens new and valuable avenues for rehabilitation healthcare education, we point to existing research in global health along with our own experiences attempting–and often struggling–to enact criticality in our teaching at the tertiary level in Aotearoa |New Zealand.

Auckland University of Technology (AUT), Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences Research Roadshow 2024

Cath Conn — 2024-12-01

AUT’s Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences Research Roadshow is an annual event showcasing the diversity of research undertaken by faculty researchers, and postgraduate students. The 2024 faculty research roadshow was held on Thursday 12 September at AUT’s North Campus. The AUT Child and Youth Health Research Centre investigates the impact of illness and disability, home and family, health services, nutrition, physical activity and the wider environment on young people. We are committed to providing a space for young people’s voices. CYHRC presented members’ research abstracts.

The theme of the roadshow was ‘Partnerships for Impact’ which for CYHRC projects incorporates –

Youth as participants and coresearchers – Researchers in this field aim for meaningful youth engagement throughout the research process, from design, through recruitment and fieldwork, to dissemination. All important are efforts to create inclusive environments, provide appropriate support for youth, and demonstrate willingness to share decision-making power. For example, in two projects refugee youth were coresearchers helping to shape decision-making related to their health.
Increasing the visibility of youth and the challenges they face - By focusing on a range of tools and activities, young participants and researchers, including postgraduate students, can significantly enhance their impact, visibility, and contributions to their fields. Building a strong research profile takes time and persistence, but ongoing effort will yield long-term benefits for research careers and the wider society.
Partnering with organizations and actors interested in youth health – Such partnerships can contribute to youth health and empowerment and significantly increase the impact of research on youth voicelessness by application of key strategies and ensuring that organisations foster appropriate cultures and mindsets within their own and other organisations. By fostering partnerships, researchers can create a more robust ecosystem for addressing youth voicelessness. This collaborative approach ensures that research is not only more comprehensive and relevant but also more likely to lead to tangible improvements in young people's lives and opportunities for their voices to be heard.
Challenges of partnering with youth given issues of voicelessness These include adult-centric perspectives and organisations, power imbalances, and communications difficulties. While there are many challenges, the potential for improved research impact makes youth engagement a valuable indeed imperative approach, especially for those focused on youth issues, such as youth health and wellbeing.