Developing Trust in Collaborative Research: Utilizing Indigenous Pacific Methodologies to Create Dialogue Within Research Teams.

This article explores the processes involved in developing international, cross-cultural research teams. Scholarship on Indigenous and Pacific Methodologies demonstrate the importance of employing methodologies that center Indigenous approaches to research and relationships. This article explores using these methodologies within research teams as a preliminary step in developing sustainable and impactful international, cross-cultural research teams. Although this is not a formal study, the article reports that the importance of building trust within research teams as an essential step in addition to building trust with communities.

Translating the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Score into Samoan using a modified back translation methodology.

BACKGROUND: Although Samoan women have a high prevalence of obesity and multiple parity which are risk factors of pelvic organ prolapse, there is no prevalence data on this condition. AIMS: Translate the Pelvic Organ Prolapse-Symptoms Score (POP-SS) from English into Samoan, MATERIALS AND METHODS: Standardised methods for translating questionnaires, individual face to face audio-recorded interviews in which women completed the POP-SS using a Think Aloud method, analysis using a Framework approach. RESULTS: The POP-SS was successfully translated in to Samoan, an additional information leaflet was developed to support women's understanding of what prolapse is, 14 Samoan women were recruited of which 13 were interviewed and completed the POP-SS, results of POP-SS (scores), results of think aloud, results in terms of research experience. CONCLUSIONS: A Samoan version of the POP-SS is now available for further evaluation of its psychometric properties prior to wider use. The team continue to collaborate on their work on establishing the prevalence of prolapse whilst building local research capacity.

Lessons learned from developing a Samoan health education video on pelvic organ prolapse.

Pelvic organ prolapse affects an estimated 40% of parous women in developed countries, but there is no prevalence data in Samoa. The impacts of pelvic organ prolapse include urinary incontinence and bowel incontinence, with many women being asymptomatic. Samoan women have high prevalence of risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse, such as obesity and parity. There are non-surgical and surgical interventions for pelvic organ prolapse. Limited sexual and reproductive health education in Samoa hinders women's knowledge of the pelvic organs and what is considered normal. This short report describes the process of developing and producing an educational video on pelvic organ prolapse in Samoan and English and the lessons learned from the process.