Anaru Waa, Dr Heather Gifford, Dr Amohia Boulton & Gill Potaka-Osborne, Bridget Robson, Dr Richard Edwards and Dr James Stanley.
Te Ara Auahi Kore (the TAKE Project) is a three-year Health Research Council of New Zealand funded research project seeking to understand-and reduce- disproportionally high rates of smoking among Māori. The TAKE Project will be delivered in partnership with Māori health organisations[1] and includes three research studies:
[1] The project has engaged with five PHOs. They are Te Tai Tokerau, National Hauora Coalition, Ngā Mataapuna Hauora, Ngāti Porou Hauora, and Ora Toa with Kokiri Marae & Takiri Mai te Ata Whānau Ora Collective.
The PAI study is an online survey, designed to better help the research team understand the context of tobacco control services being offered in each participating location (Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, East Coast /Gisborne, Wellington). Data collection for wave one is completed and will be followed by a second wave in 2020.
The Cohort study, a comprehensive online survey of Māori smokers in each of the participating locations was developed to help the research team understand how policies and interventions impact on Māori smoking behaviours. The first six months of 2019 has been focussed on completion of wave one data collection, fine tuning the questionnaire for wave two and engaging Research New Zealand to collect data in two sites. Wave two data collection will be completed by early 2020. Some analysis of initial data is being conducted currently.
The Whānau study, now complete, interviewed 72 whānau members located in Eastcoast/Gisborne and Wellington. We talked about a range of national tobacco control policies such as tobacco tax, smokefree environments and harm reduction and quitting approaches such as vaping. We were ably supported in this work by two research assistants; Anania Kerehoma-Cook (Wellington) and Connie Henare (Eastcoast/Gisborne).
The Whānau study helped us to identify what whānau were supportive of and what they found least supportive in terms of quitting. Our first action was to analyse the data and produce a brochure for our whānau participants letting them know the overall results from the study.
The results are also being shared with the Kaitiaki Roopu (participating partners and other advocates/advisors) as they emerge and being used to inform other tobacco control research work being undertaken by ASPIRE2025 (find out more here). Anaru and Heather will also be presenting initial results at the Oceania Conference in Sydney later in 2019.
