Tihei Mauri Ora! An Exploration of Māori Flourishing After Injury

Māori experience significant health inequities compared to non-Māori, and injury incidence and outcomes are no exception. Evidence from the Prospective Outcomes of Injury Study (POIS), a longitudinal cohort study of injured New Zealanders, demonstrates that a substantial proportion of Māori experience ongoing difficulties, adverse outcomes, and disability up to 24 months post-injury. However, there remains limited understanding of long-term outcomes beyond this timeframe, particularly from a strengths-based perspective.

This research builds on POIS and its recently funded extension, POIS-10 Māori, to investigate outcomes 12 years post-injury. It shifts the focus from deficit-based narratives to an exploration of whānau flourishing, emphasising resilience, strengths, and wellbeing within Māori communities.

The primary aim of this PhD project is to explore and develop an in-depth understanding of the determinants and catalysts of long-term whānau flourishing following injury among Māori, from the perspectives of injured individuals and their whānau. The study will pursue the following objectives:

1. Quantitative Analysis of Long-Term Outcomes
   To investigate 12-year post-injury outcomes related to whānau flourishing, informed by the Meihana Model.
2. Identification of Predictive Factors
   To determine the characteristics and factors that predict or support whānau flourishing at 12 years post-injury.
3. Qualitative Exploration of Lived Experiences
   To explore long-term experiences and conceptualisations of whānau flourishing among injured Māori and their whānau.
4. Development of a Flourishing Measure
   To develop a new quantitative measure of flourishing for Māori, informed by findings from both quantitative and qualitative analyses.