Working Together to Support Self-Determination for Tangata Kapo (Blind and Low Vision) Maori: An Exemplar.

This paper addresses the marginalisation of tangata kapo Maori (blind and low-vision Indigenous New Zealanders) in health- and vision-related research, despite New Zealand's commitments to international conventions. Utilising a purakau-based approach, it challenges existing colonial narratives and emphasises the importance of Maori perspectives. We advocate for Maori self-determination over research processes. This paper shares insights from a systematic review and the development of a declaration for engaging with tangata kapo Maori, reflecting the 3-year collaborative process. The Materials and Methods section details a Kaupapa Maori-grounded data collection, prioritising relationships and cultural practices. Feedback loops with participants and forums ensure accurate representation. In conclusion, the study underscores NZ government obligations and presents the "3Rs" framework-relationships, respect, and reciprocity-as essential for meaningful research engagements with tangata kapo Maori. The findings contribute valuable insights to guide future research practices, advocating for the inclusion and recognition of tangata kapo Maori rights in practice and research.

Teeth are for chewing: a critical review of the conceptualisation and ethics of a controversial intraoral weight-loss device.

We are a diverse collective of researchers who are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of marginalised individuals. This article is a response to, and critique of, the DentalSlim Diet Control research. This device revises a controversial 1970s weight-loss technology connected to poor health outcomes, which is indicative of a culture that consistently promotes harm to fat and other marginalised communities.We address the historical context in which unruly bodies, particularly fat, and Indigenous bodies have been the site of unethical investigation conducted under the auspices of medical research. Existence outside the normative white, male, cis physical ideal demands regulation, and disciplinary measures. We demonstrate how Brunton et al.'s research is underpinned by anti-fat attitudes and assumptions which impose this punitive physical intervention onto healthy people in a way that should not be acceptable in medical research.Further, we address a range of harms, giving attention to Maori and to individuals with eating disorders, along with issues of research integrity. We argue that no ethics committee should have approved this research, no academic journal should have published it, and no member of the dental and medical community should promote or prescribe this device.

Experiences of Maori of Aotearoa New Zealand's public health system: a systematic review of two decades of published qualitative research.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to synthesise the broader perspectives of Maori patients and their whanau (extended family, family group) of their treatment within the public health system. Our research question was 'What are the experiences of Maori in the public health and/or hospital system in Aotearoa New Zealand?' METHODS: A systematic search using PRISMA protocols and reflexive typology organised around the categories of Maori, public healthcare and qualitative research identified 14 papers that covered all three categories. We undertook a qualitative metasynthesis on these papers using a critical community psychology approach. RESULTS: Maori patients and whanau from the included papers mention both barriers and facilitators to health. We categorised barriers as organisational structures, staff interactions and practical considerations. Facilitators were categorised as the provision of whanau support in the form of practical assistance, emotional care and health system navigation. CONCLUSIONS: For many Maori, the existing public health system is experienced as hostile and alienating. Whanau members provide support to mitigate this, but it comes as a cost to whanau. Implications for public health: Public health providers must find ways to ensure that Maori consistently experience positive, high-quality healthcare interactions that support Maori ways of being.

Observations by and Conversations with Health Workers and Hospital Personnel Involved in Transferring Maori Patients and Whanau to Waikato Hospital in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The predominant focus of Aotearoa New Zealand's public health system on biomedical models of health has left little room for meaningful engagement with holistic indigenous approaches. Culturally appropriate provision and support are recognized for their relevance and importance during hospital transferals. Hospital staff involved in transfers to one of New Zealand's trauma centers share their observations of whanau Maori engagement during an admission away from their home base. Sixteen key informants share their experiences, which are presented as strategies and challenges to whanau engagement. Three main themes highlight challenges within the health system that make it difficult for hospital staff to engage whanau in the desired ways and as often as both parties would like. Key informants described services and practices that are not designed with patients and their whanau in mind; instead they are designed by clinicians around the needs of administrative systems. As employees within the public health system, key informants felt powerless to challenge dominant settings. Nevertheless, employees managed to circumnavigate processes. Our findings highlight the need for continued decolonization and anti-racism work within public health settings.

Whanau Maori explain how the Harti Hauora Tool assists with better access to health services.

In this paper, whanau Maori highlight how a Kaupapa Maori-centred intervention (the Harti Hauora Tamariki tool, hereafter Harti tool) has improved interactions with health services. The Harti tool is undergoing a randomised control trial (RCT) at Waikato Hospital in New Zealand. As part of the RCT, the authors engaged in a series of qualitative interviews with whanau members of tamariki Maori (children aged 0-5 years) admitted to Waikato Hospital's paediatric ward. Whanau who met at least one criteria for New Zealand's domains of deprivation were included. Using a Kaupapa Maori approach to the study, participants shared their views on barriers and facilitators to accessing health resources and primary care services. The interviews conducted highlight how the Harti tool, when administered in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner that prioritised relationship-building, enabled better connection to healthcare services. Prevalent in our analysis were connections to wider determinants of health and ways to reduce existing health inequities. To conclude the paper, how the Harti tool has enhanced feelings of being in control of health, with the potential to reduce the likelihood of a hospital readmission, is highlighted.

Corrigendum to: Whanau Maori explain how the Harti Hauora Tool assists with better access to health services.

In this paper, whanau Maori highlight how a Kaupapa Maori-centred intervention (the Harti Hauora Tamariki tool, hereafter Harti tool) has improved interactions with health services. The Harti tool is undergoing a randomised control trial (RCT) at Waikato Hospital in New Zealand. As part of the RCT, the authors engaged in a series of qualitative interviews with whanau members of tamariki Maori (children aged 0-5 years) admitted to Waikato Hospital's paediatric ward. Whanau who met at least one criteria for New Zealand's domains of deprivation were included. Using a Kaupapa Maori approach to the study, participants shared their views on barriers and facilitators to accessing health resources and primary care services. The interviews conducted highlight how the Harti tool, when administered in a culturally appropriate and respectful manner that prioritised relationship-building, enabled better connection to healthcare services. Prevalent in our analysis were connections to wider determinants of health and ways to reduce existing health inequities. To conclude the paper, how the Harti tool has enhanced feelings of being in control of health, with the potential to reduce the likelihood of a hospital readmission, is highlighted.

Nutritionism and the construction of 'poor choices' in families facing food insecurity.

The dominant research approach to both food insecurity and charitable meal provision is nutritionistic, deficit-orientated and ignores wider socio-economic issues. This reinforces existing power dynamics and overlooks the agency of people living food-insecure lives. We critique this dominant approach and draw on the everyday experiences of families facing food insecurity to ground an alternative approach that emphasises food as a social determinant of health.

Taxol: efficacy against oral squamous cell carcinoma.

In medicinal chemistry, one of the most studied molecules in recent history is taxol. Taxol is a versatile natural product that is used in various cancer treatment regimens. It is administered to patients with breast, lung, and ovarian cancers, and is currently being studied for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and tongue. Taxol has been tested in a number of research and clinical phase trials to determine feasibility, toxicity, and cytotoxicity against oral squamous cell carcinoma as a single drug regimen and as a contributing drug component in treatment plans. This paper reviews over forty articles that examine cell lines, murine models, and human results for the response of taxol against squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity and the tongue.