Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-tj2md Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T04:25:15.969Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Indigenous Theory Building for Māori Children and Adolescents with Traumatic Brain Injury and their Extended Family

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2013

Hinemoa Elder
Hinemoa Elder*
Affiliation:
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, New Zealand
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Hinemoa Elder, FRANZCP, PhD, PO Box 334, Oneroa, Waiheke Island, New Zealand. E-mail: hinemoa@xtra.co.nz
Get access

Abstract

Background: International research identifies indigeneity as a risk factor for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Aotearoa New Zealand studies show that mokopuna (grandchildren; used here to encompass the ages and stages of infant, child and adolescent development and those in young adulthood) are significantly overrepresented in TBI populations. The important role of whānau (family) is also well established in child and adolescent TBI scholarship. Despite awareness of these factors, no studies have been identified that explore whānau knowledge about mokopuna TBI. The aim of this study was to explore two questions: (1) What do Māori people say about mokopuna TBI in the context of the Māori cultural belief that the head is the most sacred part of the body? and (2) How could this information be used to build theory that could inform addressing the rehabilitation needs of this group?

Method: Eighteen marae wānanga (culture-specific fora in traditional meeting houses) were held. The wānanga typically lasted approximately 2 hours. Footage and written transcripts were analysed using Rangahau Kaupapa Māori (Māori indigenous research methods).

Results: The wairua theory of mokopuna TBI proposes that TBI not only injures brain anatomy and physiology but also injures wairua (defined here as a unique connection between Māori and all aspects of the universe). Injury to wairua means that culturally determined interventions are both indicated and expected. The wairua theory of mokopuna TBI thereby provides a guide to intervention.

Conclusion: A Māori theory of mokopuna TBI has been identified which describes a culture-specific aspect of TBI. This theory proposes that pre-existing whānau knowledge salient to TBI is critical to optimising recovery. Further research is needed to test this theory not only in TBI but also in other areas such as in mental illness, neurodegenerative disease and addiction.

Keywords

indigenouschild and adolescenttraumatic brain injurytheory buildingMāori
Type
Articles
Information
Brain Impairment , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , December 2013 , pp. 406 - 414
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Australian Academic Press Pty Ltd 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adekoya, N., & Wallace, L. (2002). Traumatic brain injury among American Indians/Alaska Natives – United States, 1992–1996. [Morbidity and Mortality]. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries, 51 (14), 303–304.Google Scholar
Anderson, V.A., Catroppa, C., Hariton, F., Morse, S., & Rosenfeld, J.V. (2005). Identifying factors contributing to child and family outcome 30 months after TBI in children. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 76, 401–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arango-Lasprilla, J.C., & Kreutzer, J.S. (2010). Racial and ethnic disparities in functional, psychological and neurobehavioural outcomes after brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation, 25 (2), 128–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arango-Lasprilla, J.C., Rosenthal, M., Deluca, J., Komaroff, E., Shere, M., Cifu, D., & Hanks, R. (2007). Traumatic brain injury and functional outcomes: Does minority status matter? Brain Injury, 21 (7), 701–708.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barker-Collo, S.L., Feigin, V.L., Theadom, A., & Starkey, N. (2012). Incidence of traumatic brain in jury: A population based New Zealand study. Paper presented at the World Congress of Neurorehabilitation, 16–19 May, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Barker-Collo, S.L., Wilde, N.J., & Feigin, V.L. (2009). Trends in head injury incidence in New Zealand: A hospital-based study from 1997/1998 to 2003/2004. Neuroepidemiology, 32, 32–39.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blackmer, J., & Marshall, S. (1999). A comparison of traumatic brain injury in the Saskatchewan native North American and non-native North American populations. Brain Injury, 13 (8), 627–635.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braga, L.W., Da Paz Junior, A.C., & Ylvisaker, M. (2005). Direct clinician-delivered versus indirect family-supported rehabilitation of children with Traumatic Brain Injury: a randomised control trial. Brain Injury, 19, 819–831.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgess, E.S., Droktar, D., Taylor, H.G., Wade, S., Stancin, T., & Yeates, K.O. (1999). The Family Burden of Injury Interview (FBII). Reliability and validity studies. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation, 14, 394–405.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cheung, M. (2010). Cellular and cultural studies of human neurodegenerative diseases. University of Auckland, Auckland.Google Scholar
Durie, M. (1994). Whaiora: Māori health development. Auckland: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Durie, M. (2001). Mauri ora, dynamics of Māori health. Auckland: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Durie, M. (2011). Indigenizing mental health services: The New Zealalnd experience. Transcultural Psychiatry, 48 (1–2), 24–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elder, H. (2013). Te Waka Oranga. An indigenous intervention for working with Māori children and adolescents with traumatic brain injury. Brain Impairment.Google Scholar
Faleafa, M. (2009). Community rehabilitation outcomes across cultures following traumatic brain injury. Pacific Health Dialog, 15 (1), 28–34.Google ScholarPubMed
Glavish, N. (2007). Tikanga best practice guidelines. Auckland: Auckland District Health Board.Google Scholar
Haider, A., Efron, D., Haut, E., DiRusso, S., Sullivan, T., & Cornwell, E. (2007). Black children experience worse clinical and functional outcomes after traumatic brain injury: An analysis of the national pediatric trauma registry. Journal of Trauma, Infection and Critical Care, 62 (5), 1259–1263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jamieson, L., Harrison, J., & Berry, J. (2008). Hospitalisation for head injury due to assault among indigenous and non-indigenous Australians, July 1999–June 2005. Medical Journal of Australia, 188 (10), 576–579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jansen, P., Bacal, K., & Crengle, S. (2008). He ritenga whakaaro: Mâori experiences of health services. Auckland: Mauriora Associates.Google Scholar
Keightley, M., Kendall, V., Jang, S.-H., Parker, C., Agnihotri, S., Colantonio, A., et al. (2011). From health care to home community: An Aboriginal community-based ABI transition strategy. Brain Injury, 25 (2), 142–152.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Keightley, M., Ratnayake, R., Minore, B., Katt, M., Cameron, A., White, R., . . . Colantonio, A. (2009). Rehabilitation challenges for Aboriginal clients recovering from brain injury: a qualitative study engaging health care practitioners. Brain Injury, 23 (3), 250–261.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kukutai, T. (2004). The problem of defining an ethnic group for public policy: Who is Māori and why does it matter? Social Policy Journal of New Zealand, 23, 86–108.Google Scholar
Langlois, J., Kegler, S., Butler, J., Gotsch, K., Johnson, R., Reichard, A., . . . Thurman, D.J. (2003). Traumatic brain injury-related hospital discharges. Results from a 14-state surveillance system. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Surveillance Summaries, 52, SS–4.Google ScholarPubMed
Langlois, J., Rutland-Brown, W., & Thomas, K.E. (2005). The incidence of traumatic brain injury among children in the United States. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation, 20 (3), 229–238.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McClintock, K., Mellsop, G., Moeke-Maxwell, T., & Merry, S. (2010). Pōwhiri process in mental health research. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 58 (1), 96–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelson, L., Rhodes, A., Noona, C., Manson, S., & AI-SUPERPFP Team. (2007). Traumatic brain injury and mental health among two American Indian populations. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 22 (2), 105–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
New Zealand Guidelines Group. (2006). Traumatic brain injury: Diagnosis, acute management and rehabilitation. Evidence based practice guideline. Wellington: Accident Compensation Corporation.Google Scholar
Pomedli, S. (2008). Cultural identity and mental health. In Kingi, T.K. (Ed.), Matariki (vol. 1, pp. 91–111). Wellington: Te Mata o Te Tau.Google Scholar
Rivara, J., Jaffe, K., Polissar, N., Fay, G., Martin, K., Shurtleff, H., & Liao, S. (1994). Family functioning and children's academic performance and behavior problems in the year following traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medical Rehabilitation, 75, 369–379.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robson, B., & Reid, P. (2001). Ethnicity matters. Review of measurement of ethnicity in official statistics. Māori perspectives paper for consultation. Wellington: Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora o Eru Pōmare.Google Scholar
Saltapidas, H., & Ponsford, J. (2007). The influence of cultural background on motivation for and participation in rehabilitation and outcomes following traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma and Rehabilitation, 22 (2), 132–139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saltapidas, H., & Ponsford, J. (2008). The influence of cultural background on experiences and beliefs about traumatic brain injury and their association with outcome. Brain Impairment, 9 (1), 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sander, A.M., Cole Davis, L., Struchen, M.A., Atchison, T., Sherer, M., Malec, J.F., & Nakase-Richardson, R. (2007). Relationship of race/ethnicity to caregivers’ coping, appraisals, and distress after traumatic brain injury. NeuroRehabilitation, 22, 9–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, G., Mohr, R., & Redman, A. (2000). Cultural variations in the understanding of traumatic brain injury and brain injury rehabilitation. Brain Injury, 14 (2), 125–140.Google ScholarPubMed
Smith, G. (2003). Kaupapa Māori theory. Theorizing indigenous transformation of education and schooling. Paper presented at the Kaupapa Māori Symposium. NZARE/AARE Joint Conference, 30 November–2 December, Auckland, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Statistics New Zealand. (n.d). QuickStats about Māori. Retrieved 4 January 2012, from http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/QuickStats/quickstats-about-a-subject/maori.aspxGoogle Scholar
Statistics New Zealand, & Ministry of Culture and Heritage. (2003). A measure of culture: cultural experiences and cultural spending in New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: Statistics New Zealand, Ministry of Culture and Heritage.Google Scholar
Staudenmayer, K., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Oliveira, A. d., Gentilello, L., & Shafti, S. (2007). Ethnic disparities in long-term functional outcomes after traumatic brain injury. Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection and Critical Care, 63 (6), 1364–1369.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, H.G., Drotar, D., & Wade, S. (1995). Recovery from traumatic brain injury in children: the importance of the family. In Roman, S. & Michal, M. (Eds.), Traumatic head injury in children. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Taylor, H.G., Yeates, K.O., Wade, S.L., Drotar, D., Klein, S.K., & Stancin, T. (1999). Influences on first-year recovery from traumatic brain injury in children. Neuropsychology, 7, 755–767.Google Scholar
Taylor, H.G., Yeates, K.O., Wade, S.L., Drotar, D., Stancin, T., & Burant, C. (2001). Bidirectional child–family influences on outcomes of traumatic brain injury in children. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 7, 755–767.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kokiri, Te Puni. (2007). Te tirohanga ki te reo Māori. The Māori language survey. Wellington, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Kokiri, Te Puni. (2010). 2009 rangahau i ngā waiaro, ngā uara me ngā whakapono mō te Reo Māori. 2009 Survey of attitudes, values and beliefs towards the Māori language. Wellington, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Uomoto, J.M. (2005). Multicultural perspectives. In High, W.M. (Ed.), Rehabilitation for traumatic brain injury (pp. 247–267). Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wereta, W. (2002). Statistics in the wake of challenges posed by cultural diversity in a globalization context. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Cultural Statistics, 21–23 October, Montreal Canada.Google Scholar
Woods, D.T., Catroppa, C., Barnett, P., & Anderson, V.A. (2011). Parental disciplinary practices following acquired brain injury in children. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 14, 274–282.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yeates, K.O., Taylor, H.G., Woodrome, S.E., Wade, S.L., Stancin, T., & Drotar, D. (2002). Race as a moderator of parent and family outcomes following pediatric traumatic brain injury. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 27 (4), 393–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar