Engaging Māori with qualitative healthcare research using an animated comic

Last year, we recruited people with asthma for a focus group study to find out what aspects of treatment were most important to them. This work recognised the fact over time, patients become experts at what care works best for them.

We designed an animated comic to let people know about the study, and shared this locally using a Facebook ad. The approach was well-received online, and helped us to quickly find people who wanted to volunteer to take part and share their views. Interestingly, the proportion of Māori participants was over five times higher than in the local population. This is important because Māori have poorer health outcomes and increased barriers to accessing healthcare compared with non-Māori, particularly those who have asthma. Research that can engage and support under-represented communities to take part can help inequities be addressed faster, and so is of both local and international importance.

When some demographics are under-represented in healthcare research, it is often justified by the difficulty in reaching and engaging particular groups, or on cost/time barriers. Our simple approach in this study appears to have overcome any such barriers, and so we have published reflections within a Kaupapa Māori framework, about what may have made this study accessible. We hope this is of interest and help to researchers planning studies and for health promotion activity in Aotearoa and beyond. Our team is encouraged to further explore comic media and research approaches designed with consideration of Kaupapa Māori principles.

The full paper is available from Health Promotion International here: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daaa111

Tēnā kotou to Tu Kotahi Māori Asthma Trust and the local community for their support which made this research possible.