Worldviews of hearing health for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand: a mixed methods study

Elizabeth A.-L. Holt; Latasi Koro; Fiona Langridge; Vili Nosa

doi:10.1071/HC23123

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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Worldviews of hearing health for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand: a mixed methods study

Elizabeth A.-L. Holt

¹ ² ^* , Latasi Koro ³ , Fiona Langridge

⁴ , Vili Nosa

⁵

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

¹ Section of Audiology, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.

² Eisdell Moore Centre for Hearing and Balance Research, Section of Audiology, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.

³ The Hearing House, Greenlane, Auckland 1546, New Zealand.

⁴ Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.

⁵ Pacific Health Section, School of Population Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.

^* Correspondence to: e.holt@auckland.ac.nz

Handling Editor: Tim Stokes

Journal of Primary Health Care 16(3) 250-257 https://doi.org/10.1071/HC23123

Submitted: 5 October 2023 Accepted: 4 December 2023 Published: 25 January 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Introduction

Pacific peoples experience inequity in accessing hearing health care and are disproportionately exposed to the underlying determinants impacting ear and hearing health in Aotearoa New Zealand. Understanding community members’ worldviews, including perspectives, beliefs and values, is essential in developing appropriate and responsive hearing healthcare services to meet the needs of Pacific peoples.

Aim

The purpose of this paper is to understand the worldviews, knowledge and beliefs held by Pacific peoples regarding hearing health in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Methods

A mixed-methods approach was used. Twelve semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with Pacific community members. Twenty-five participants completed an online questionnaire. A simultaneous, integrated mixed-methods approach was used to analyse the qualitative and quantitative data.

Results

Five main themes were established, which were: The Meaning of Hearing; Causes of hearing loss; Consequences of hearing loss and Disability; and Improving health care for ear disease and hearing loss.

Discussion

Pacific peoples value hearing health to communicate and connect with their families and communities. Participants highlighted the importance of hearing health across the life course. Although the study findings revealed there is potentially less stigma and shame around hearing loss in New Zealand, denial and fatalistic attitudes towards hearing loss may delay some people from seeking healthcare services. Participants expressed key ways in which the health system can be more responsive to the hearing health needs of Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Keywords: delivery of healthcare, disability, ear health, hearing loss, knowledge, New Zealand, pacific peoples, worldviews.

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