Date of Award:

5-2010

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Richard Roberts

Committee

Richard Roberts

Committee

Carolyn Barcus

Committee

Eric Reither

Committee

Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez

Committee

Galye Morse

Abstract

This study looked at the health beliefs of Māori who live in Utah, U.S. and examined what ways those beliefs have evolved from traditional Māori health beliefs. It also looked at the conditions and indicators of those conditions that maintain those health beliefs. A New Zealand study found that Māori older than age 45 years were more likely to have traditional health beliefs, whereas Māori younger than age 45 were more likely to have western-based health beliefs. Using grounded theory, the narratives—from two groups, younger or older than 45 years, where each group was composed of eight randomly selected participants—were collected and analyzed. It was found that all participants held traditional Māori health beliefs. Those beliefs were compatible with the construct of the Māori health model as presented in Te Whare Tapa Wha. This Māori model, along with participants, presented health as holistic, comprising components of physical, mental, spiritual, and family. Participants perceived health as having all four elements interconnected, with spirituality being the key element that binds all the others. Conditions that maintained this belief were time in country; acculturation, with racism possibly providing resistance to that condition; enculturation; and spirituality. Participants’ spirituality was the key condition of maintaining their Māori health belief that is presented in this study. Enculturation, as a necessary but insufficient condition of Māori health beliefs, was based on indicators of opportunity, location, family, and social support and how these indicators play out over the life course of individuals. The most important indicator for enculturation was family or other social support for individuals to engage in Māori cultural activities.

Checksum

d33d0fc5d249a3899e98e0278b081562

Comments

This work made publicly available electronically on August 2, 2010.

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