Health challenges of some urban Cook Island women in New Zealand

Cook Island women (CIW) in New Zealand are disproportionately represented among almost all of the negative health statistics. They predominately occupy the lowest socio-economic level, present with high rates of heart disease risk, cervical cancer and smoking. Furthermore, they delay seeking treatment until their diseases are at an advanced stage. The primary aim of this study was to identify the health challenges that some CIW in New Zealand regarded as salient. We were also interested in the cognitive representations generated by health challenges, such as the cause, the consequences, the timeline, and the degree of control they felt they had. The types of coping strategies employed in response to health challenges were also explored, as was the participant's appraisal of the effectiveness of their efforts. Answers to semi-structured interviews were categorised using QSR NUD*IST Release Version 4.0. The results indicate that women are most concerned about their diet, exercise, obesity and diabetes. Their answers demonstrated that they: often feel overwhelmed by health challenges; believe that they have little control over the cause of these challenges; and that they have a tendency to minimise their consequences. Furthermore, the women were more likely to engage in emotion-focused coping, and appraise their problem-focused coping strategies negatively.