Correlates of Health-Related Quality of Life for Māori Elders Involved in a Peer Education Intervention

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify social determinant and communication correlates of health-related quality of life for kaumātua (Māori elders) in New Zealand. A total of 209 kaumātua completed a self-report survey of self-rated health, physical/mental quality of life, spirituality, and a series of questions about social determinants (e.g., factors related to income) and communication variables (e.g., loneliness, social support, cultural identity, and perceived burden/benefit). The survey was baseline data for a peer education intervention to help kaumātua work through life transitions in older age. The main findings of this study were that social determinants, particularly difficulty paying bills, accounted for a small amount of variance in physical/mental quality of life and self-rated health. Further, the communication correlates of loneliness, perceived burden, and desired support accounted for about three times as much variance in these two outcomes all with negative associations. Strength of tribal identity, importance of whānau (extended family), and knowledge of tikanga (customs and protocols) accounted for a moderate amount variance in spirituality with positive associations. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications for positive aging.

Glossary of Māori terms

Māori	=	English
hapū	=	subtribe
hauora	=	health
hinengaro	=	mental wellbeing
iwi	=	tribe
kaumātua	=	elders
koha	=	offering, gift
mana motuhake	=	autonomy and self-actualization
Māori	=	Indigenous people of New Zealand
marae	=	community meeting space
mātauranga	=	knowledge
Te Ao Māori	=	Māori worldview
Te Tiriti o Waitangi	=	the founding treaty of New Zealand
teina	=	recipient of peer education (literally younger sibling)
tikanga	=	customs and protocols
tinana	=	physical wellbeing
tuakana	=	peer educator (literally older sibling)
waiora	=	health and wellbeing
wairua	=	spiritual wellbeing
whakawhanaungatanga	=	making social connections
whānau	=	extended family
whanaunga	=	social wellbeing

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Facundo Ferriera for assistance with data entry and statistical analysis.

Notes

¹ The two loneliness error terms were correlated primarily because of the empirical data (i.e., modification index). This is not ideal although was completed because the two items appear related conceptually and to enhance model fit.

² Exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor solution was appropriate with the two-items of tribal identity on one factor, one item on a second factor, and the final item on a third factor.

Additional information

Funding

The project was funded by the Ageing Well National Science Challenge, New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (UOOX1508, SUB1484); Brendan Hokowhitu (PI), John Oetzel and Rangimahora Reddy (Co-PIs). The authors maintain sole responsibility for the research design, data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of the findings.