Spirituality: The Essence of Wellness Among Tongan and Samoan Elders

Abstract

Spirituality is often ignored as a central component of wellness. According to Pacific cultural beliefs, spiritual harmony is necessary for wellness to emerge and is particularly salient for Pacific elders who are intergenerational connectors between the past, present, and future. Using principles of grounded theory for data collection and analysis of in-depth interviews with 10 Samoan and 10 Tongan elders in Hawai'i, two major themes emerged: meanings and expressions of spirituality and interdependence of culture, spirituality, and wellness. From a Pacific perspective, spirituality is central, and wellness does not exist without balance of the spirit, body, mind, and environment.

Keywords:

• Samoan elders
• spirituality
• Tongan elders
• wellness

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by a George Mason University Faculty Research Seed Grant and funding from the College of Health and Human Services awarded to Dr. Halaevalu F. O. Vakalahi.

This article was awarded an Honorable Mention for the 2011 Betty J. Cleckley Minority Issues Research Award from the Aging and Public Health section of the American Public Health Association.