“His Side of the story”: Tongan Men’s Perception on Mo’ui lelei and their Priority Health Needs in South Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to achieve a better understanding of Tongan men’s (16-65 years) perceptions on mo’ui lelei (health) and their priority health needs in South Auckland. It is envisioned that findings from this research will contribute significantly to understanding why inequalities in health is currently present amongst NZ-born and migrant Tongan men living in Auckland. Moreover, identifying their priority health needs can provide sufficient grounds for a more Tongan male-specific approach to addressing Tongan men’s health issues. Method: Study design: This study was predominantly exploratory in nature. It utilised a concurrent embedded mixed methods approach whereby the secondary quantitative method is embedded within the dominant qualitative method. Setting: The setting of the study was in South Auckland which contains the largest Tongan population (51%) in the Auckland region. Participants: A purposive snowball sampling technique was utilized to recruit the participants. The inclusion of participants was based on men who; have Tongan ethnic backgrounds (including men with mixed ancestry); speak Tongan or English; are within the ages 16-65 years and; live in South Auckland. Recruitment produced 4 New Zealand born (NZ-born) and 8 migrant Tongan men. Data Collection: Data collections of both the quantitative and qualitative approaches were carried out concurrently. The quantitative data was collected through a demographic questionnaire. The qualitative data was collected using one-on-one semi structured interviews which incorporated the ethnic specific talanoa methodology. The duration of data collection was 90 minutes in which were recorded using an electronic recorder. Data Analysis: The data from the quantitative questionnaire was analysed using the SPSS computer software programme. The qualitative data was analysed using David Thomas’s General Inductive Approach utilising the Nvivo10 computer software programme. Results: This study has recognized that there is a difference between migrant and NZ-born Tongan men’s perception in terms of traditional and contemporary interpretations of mo’ui lelei. Findings also suggest that Tongan men’s perception on the term ‘mo’ui lelei’ today has evolved to adopt certain aspects of the WHO definition of health. Participants define the term mo’ui lelei as holistic health, balanced life, free from physical diseases, maintaining good physical health and the ability to function normally. Priority health needs identified were multi-dimensional encapsulating the physical, social, mental and spiritual dimensions of Tongan men’s health/mo’ui lelei status. This highlights the need for a multi-sectorial approach to address Tongan men’s poor health outcomes. Other health significant issues highlighted were sexual health, violence (including domestic and family violence) and suicide. Key approaches to addressing poor health outcomes among Tongan men included capacity building, male ethnic specific policies, development of a Tongan social environment and a male ethnic specific healthcare service. Conclusion: This study provides a male ethnic specific perspective on men’s health or mo’ui lelei. It acknowledges the complex and heterogeneous issues around Tongan men’s health compared to women and the rest of the NZ male population. Further research is needed to explore the perceptions of Tongan men on culturally taboo health issues such as sexual health and areas in access to health services, lack of knowledge and its relationship with culture.