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Our current food system is failing to deliver on equitable health outcomes, wellbeing and food security and the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand has high inequities and one the highest levels of childhood obesity nationally. This articlereports baseline quantitative data from 2087 students (aged 9 or 13) from 41 primary and secondary schools, including schools participating in the Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunch programme. Students answered an online survey covering food security, general wellbeing (WHO-5), eating behaviours and physical activity and were measured/weighed for body size. 16.8% of students experienced food insufficiency in the home and 31.3% of 13-yr-olds did not eat breakfast. Overall, only 12.9% met the national vegetable intake guidelines and 39.6% met fruit intake guidelines. Students in high advantage schools (decile 8–10) were twice as likely to meet the vegetable intake guidelines. 47.1% of 13-year old girls were at risk of reduced wellbeing. 54.6% of students had a healthy weight and 44.5% experienced overweight or obesity; in low advantage (decile 1–3) schools 64.4% experienced overweight or obesity. The data form a baseline for an evaluation of multiple public health initiatives underway in Hawke's Bay to improve food environments and nutritional wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT: New Zealand's primary mental health initiatives (PMHIs) have successfully filled a health service gap and shown good outcomes for many presenting with mild to moderate anxiety/depression in primary health care settings. Maori have higher rates of mental health disorders and complexity of social and mental health needs not matched by access to PMHIs. ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEM: The Wairua Tangata Programme (WTP), a Hawkes Bay PMHI, aimed to provide an integrated, flexible, holistic, tikanga Maori-based therapeutic service targeting underserved Maori, Pacific and Quintile 5 populations. External evaluation of the programme provided formative and outcome feedback. RESULTS: The WTP reported high engagement of Maori (particularly women), low non-attendance rates, good improvements in mental health assessment exit scores, strong stakeholder support and service user gratitude. GPs reported willingness to explore mental health issues in this high needs population. Challenges included engaging Pacific peoples and males and recruiting from scarce Maori, Pacific and male therapist workforces. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT: Effectively meeting the target population's complex social and therapeutic needs required considerable programme flexibility, referral back into the programme and assistance with transitioning to other therapeutic or social support services. Referral criteria required adaptation to accommodate some sectors, especially youth. A group programme was developed specifically for males. LESSONS: A holistic PMHI programme delivered with considerable flexibility and a skilled, culturally fluent team working closely with primary care providers can successfully engage and benefit underserved Maori communities with complex social and mental health needs. Successful targeted programmes are integral to reducing mental health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs that an independent research report has been released by the Medical Council of New Zealand, in partnership with Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa (Te ORA) on September 25, 2020 analyzing the current state of cultural safety and health equity delivered by physicians in New Zealand. The report analyzes systemic racism and lack of health equity among Maori patients and ways to prevent it.

Among Maori families, the loss of an infant to SIDS is a terrible burden that reverberates through social networks for years after the event. The statutory services that investigate the death have a huge impact on such processes. This qualitative investigation studied the experiences of whanau following a SIDS death by reporting narrative data, gathered from families, police officers, coroners, and pathologists. Thematic analyses revealed multiple domains of high significance--police actions, post-mortem, and coronial process--to bereaved whanau, and this paper considers their implications for grieving, service provision, and social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]