An Evaluation of the Hauora Homies Weight Loss and Lifestyle Change Model: Unpacking Tikanga Māori and Participant Experiences
Tēnā koe. As you may know I am a Masters student at the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. As part of this degree I am undertaking a research project leading to a thesis. The project I am undertaking is evaluating the Hauora Homies Weight Loss and Lifestyle Change model with a particular interest in the experiences, impact and outcome of participants and the use of tikanga Māori practice and understandings in this context. This
research project (application #21450) received ethics approval from the Victoria University Human Ethics Committee on 8 March 2015.
I am inviting up to 12 participants and up to three kaitautoko (committee members/challenge masters) from four Hauora Homie Model based Challenges (Hauora Homies 2013, Hauora Homies Take Two (T2), Kick in the Butt Weight Loss Challenge and Hauora, Hauora – Ready Set Go!) to participate in this study. I am also going to analyse weekly data sets collected during the challenges. If you are happy to take part in sharing your experiences of any of the above challenges, I will arrange to come and meet you at a place and time that best suits you or if you are based out of town I will call you at a time that suits. The interview will take between 30- 45mins. I would like to know what kind of experiences you had while participating in the Hauora Homies Model based challenges and if those experiences have contributed towards mid to long- term lifestyle change. For example questions will focus on what worked and what did not work for you as well as discussing whether tikanga Māori played a role in the challenges/the model and if it did, how and why. If you are also happy to release your personal weekly weigh in and challenge information that is stored on a database on the challenge Facebook page, I will provide you with a consent form to be signed. I would also like your permission to analyse the comments
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and discussion on the challenge pages to look at what was being discussed and what roles people played in the challenge.
Taking part is entirely voluntary (your choice). You may decide not to take part or you may pull out of the study at any time before May 2nd 2015. Just let me know at the time. If you decide to
take part, you have the right to not answer any particular question; and you may ask any questions about the study at any time. I will ask to record the interview and you have the right to have the tape recorder turned off at any time, including for the whole interview. You have the opportunity to request a summary of the report when it is finished and you will be invited to a hui at either Te Ako Pai or Te Herenga Waka marae to discuss the findings of this research. Responses will form the basis of my research project and will be put into a written report. You may choose to be anonymous or personally identified. I would also like to include photos to showcase the types of information that was shared and motivational photos that were used. All material collected will be kept confidential and will be stored in a locked cabinet and a secure computer at the Health Services Research Centre, Victoria University of Wellington. No other person besides me and my supervisors Dr Sandra Grey and Professor Kevin Dew, and mentors Dr Jenny Neale and Dr Kirsten Smiler will see the interview transcripts.
The thesis will be submitted for marking to the School of Social and Cultural Studies and deposited in the University Library. It is intended that one or more articles will be submitted for publication in scholarly journals, and presentations to the Hauora Homie, TriPōneke and IronMāori whānau will take place to support the work they do helping whānau Māori create and maintain healthy lifestyle changes. Data collected will be destroyed after five years from the end of this project. Within this time the material may possibly be used for a potential PhD, however consent will be sourced if this occurs.
If you have any further questions or would like to receive further information about the project, please contact me on 04 463 6949 or [email protected] or my supervisor Prof Kevin Dew, at the School of Social and Cultural Studies at Victoria University of Wellington on (04) 463 5291 or [email protected].
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APPENDIX D: Consent Form (2)
CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
An Evaluation of the Hauora Homies Weight Loss and Lifestyle Change Model: Unpacking Tikanga Māori and Participant Experiences
I have been given and have understood an explanation of this research project. I have had an opportunity to ask questions and have them answered to my satisfaction.
I agree to take part in an interview, allow access to my weekly data information (if relevant) gathered during the challenge/s and allow access to any comments or discussions I took part in on the Hauora Facebook page, and can confirm:
During the interview I can stop the interview at any time and/or refuse to answer any question without giving a reason;
I can withdraw myself or any information I have provided at any time before May 2 2015, including any information on the Hauora Facebook pages.
The interview will be recorded, and written up;
If I want, I will be sent a copy of my transcript or notes and asked to return them with any corrections or changes I wish to make.
I will provide permission before any images are used in this thesis, in any articles and/or presentations.
Please circle which challenges you allow access to
Hauora Homies One Hauora Homies Two
Kick in the Butt Weight Loss Challenge Hauora Hauora Ready Set Go! I would like my identity to be anonymous in text: Yes □ OR No □
I would like my transcript sent to me for checking: Yes □ OR No □ Please send me a summary of the findings: Yes □ OR No □
Signature: ___________________________________________________________________________ Name: (please print) __________________________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________________________________________ Phone/mobile: _______________________________________________________________________
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APPENDIX E: Masters Research Questions
The aim of the research is to deepen our understanding of how these concepts worked in practice, with the goal of informing Māori lifestyle change and community development programmes. To gain a deeper understanding of these concepts a number of questions will be explored in relation to the data (outlined below) including:
1. What specific actions and practices were recognised in terms of tikanga Māori, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga?
2. Why were practices undertaken that were understood in these terms?
3. What were the intended and unintended consequences of using particular social practices? 4. Were these practices crucial to the success of the model?
5. How did whānau understand the practices and were there any differences in people’s thoughts of what particular practices meant?
This research will also identify other key principles that support the model with an emphasis on;
1. How the model contributed to challenge goals; 2. were weight loss goals and lifestyle changes met;
3. and what impact did the methodology of the model such as the use of social media and technology, support systems, knowledge and advice have on medium-long term outcomes; 4. what are the participant’s views and experiences of the challenge;
5. how did participants’ experiences of this model compare with other ‘generic’ weight loss challenges/programmes; and
6. Identify how the model relates, in practice to Te Pae Mahutonga (Durie, M. 1999), a Māori health promotion framework.
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