Utilisation of Traditional Pacific Healers by mothers and children of the Pacific Islands Families Study.
OBJECTIVE
This research explores data on the mother's willingness to use, and children's use of Traditional Pacific Healers (TPH) from the first five waves of the Pacific Islands Families study (PIFS). Specific aims were: to report the prevalence of, and describe factors associated with, (1) the willingness of Pacific mothers to use the health services of Traditional Pacific Healers, (2) the use of Traditional Pacific Healers to treat children within the cohort and (3) to assess whether the use of Traditional Pacific Healers was a substitute or a supplement for western medicine.


METHODS
Mothers were asked whether they would use a Traditional Pacific Healer if sick (willingness) and how often their child had seen a Traditional Pacific healer in the previous 12 months (use). These questions were asked at multiple measurement waves consisting of 6 week, 4 and 6 year for mothers, and 6 weeks, 1, 2, 4, and 6 year measurement waves for children.


RESULTS
At 6 weeks 48% of mothers were willing to use TPH and this decreased to 36% at year 4 and 24% at year 6. Pacific born mothers, Samoan and Tongan mothers, and religious mothers were significantly more willing to use a TPH. Varied patterns of use were observed by children based on ethnicity and measurement wave. Like mothers--use by children declined as they aged. At 6 weeks 18% of children saw a TPH whilst 8% saw a TPH at age 6 years. Mothers amenable to using traditional healers are using them as supplemental to western medicine, rather than as a substitute.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a steady reduction observed in mother's willingness and children's use of TPH in the PIFS over time. This raises the question of the whether provision of TPH is sustainable in NZ. There are significant differences in use of TPH by ethnicity. Further research that assesses reasons for visits, treatments provided, and costs may help explain the observed variations shown in this study.
AUT University, School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies, Auckland, New Zealand. gerhard.sundborn@aut.ac.nz
Gerhard
G
Sundborn
Steve
S
Taylor
El-Shadan
el-S
Tautolo
Sitaleki
S
Finau
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D055815:Young Adult; D000069:Acculturation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D017533:Marital Status; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010139:Pacific Islands / Q000208:ethnology; D000095188:Pacific Island People