Sharon Awatere

Citation

Thesis Title
“I like to be treated like a person, a little smile never costs a thing”
Weaving kaumātua experiences of living with osteoarthritis in Hawke’s Bay, Aotearoa New Zealand into a collaborative Osteoarthritis-Management Toolkit

Read article at Massey Research Online:

The global burden of osteoarthritis has major ramifications for societies and governments around the world. Ms Awatere investigated positive health management, as viewed through the memories and aspirations of kaumātua who have lived through the challenges of living with osteoarthritis. These factors were brought together into a Māori-centred toolkit, appropriate to modern health promotion, as they applied to Māori health perspectives of kaumātua in Hawke’s Bay, Aotearoa New Zealand. She found that Western science and a Māori-centred approach were relevant for reflecting the realities of kaumātua with osteoarthritis, who live in both the Māori world, and wider society. The outcome indicators were encapsulated by the idea that kaumātua, family and whānau know what issues deserve their attention and what is needed to address local problems. Māori-specific outcome indicators for optimal osteoarthritis-management were identified, as was the overarching indicator, ‘Manākitanga-ā-tinana’ (a culturally relevant approach to osteoarthritis-management and relationship-based care).

Supervisors
Associate Professor Margaret Forster
Dr Mere Kepa
Dr Geoffrey Kira