This research examines the impact of marketisation on Pacific Islands students in Christchurch high schools. Specifically, this study targeted the Tomorrow's Schools policy released in 1990 with particular interest in the changes in zoning laws. These changes theoretically allowed the consumers of education (the parents and students) equal access to all secondary schools by breaking down the zones and creating a free market where 'choice' and competition reigned supreme. However, this study along with others found that in actual fact it was the 'popular' schools with enrolment schemes who had the power to choose what students they preferred. Schools were left to compete for those students deemed' undesirable' by popular schools. This study found that a dis-empowerment of the schools' enrolment schemes needs to occur in Christchurch. Obviously, on the other hand, an empowerment of Pacific Islands parents and students through the increase of information also needs to occur. Although the government has made small steps toward making the problem more visible, more definitive work needs to be done in this area. This study also examined the achievement of Pacific Islands students at a national and at a sample level and discovered that has been very little improvement in this area over the time the Tomorrow's Schools policy has been in operation. Therefore, this study ventures into an analysis of this problem and suggests possible remedies. Again, this study argues that students must be actively empowered by teachers, schools, the government, and by their own people, in order to break down the physical, mental and even spiritual battles that Pacific Islands students face in the New Zealand education system.

"Honours dissertation." / Originally issued as the author's thesis (B.S.--Charles Sturt University). Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-196).

"Honours dissertation." / Originally issued as the author's thesis (B.S.--Charles Sturt University). Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-196).

No description available.

Yes / A study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among children and their mothers on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands two decades after routine vaccination was introduced in the 1990s. Mothers’ knowledge and attitudes towards HBV disease and vaccination were also assessed. Methods: Results of a national seroprevalence survey conducted in 2016–2017 and antenatal records were used to determine the prevalence of HBV seropositivity in children aged 6–8 years and their biological mothers. The associations between demographic, social and vaccination-related factors and seropositivity were explored using Fisher’s exact tests. Results: HBV seroprevalence was 0.3% in children and 6.8% in their mothers (during pregnancy). Coverage of timely HBV vaccination was 90.3% for the birth dose and was significantly associated with factors related to place of residence (P < 0.001), place of birth (P < 0.001) and number of antenatal visits (P < 0.001). Maternal attitudes towards infant vaccination and antenatal screening were largely positive (95.8% and 96.7%, respectively) despite low vaccination rates (20.9%) among mothers. Knowledge levels were low for disease complications, treatment and transmission. Discussion: Prevalence of HBV in children and mothers residing on Kwajalein Atoll in 2016–2017 was lower than the national average for the Marshall Islands. Timely birth dose administration appears to have been effective in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HBV in this setting and should be promoted in remote settings where antiviral therapy is not available. Provision of out-of-cold-chain HBV vaccines should be considered to improve access in remote settings.

There are currently several potential threats to the long-term habitability of many atolls and islands in the Pacific Islands region, with environmental change appearing the most serious. Minimal attention has been given to the possibility that migrants forced from uninhabitable islands will require resettlement en masse, and assessing past resettlements is crucial to planning for what the future my hold. Population resettlement is not a new phenomenon in the Pacific Islands region, yet recently it has been neglected by academics. This study builds on past work by Bedford and assesses the current literature in the fields of population resettlement and forced migration, finding that the situation threatening the Pacific Islands is not adequately addressed by any of the planning or analytical tools available. A model based predominantly on the work of Cernea and Muggah was developed by the author to account for this theoretical shortcoming. The model is used to assess the past cases of resettlement from Banaba and Bikini Atoll, identifying variables which influence the success of resettlement. Conclusions are drawn from the case studies and recommendations for how to avoid negative outcomes in future resettlements are made. This study advances the current literature, provides an in-depth analysis of pressing yet hitherto avoided issues, and can inform both foreign and domestic policy planning in not just Pacific Island states, but receiver states and other potentially effected islands or atolls regardless of region.

Patient satisfaction has been identified as an indicator of quality care. There is no research on patient satisfaction with Nurse Practitioner (NP) care on Guam. Therefore, a cross sectional descriptive study was conducted to assess patient satisfaction with NP care at three primary care clinics on Guam. A convenience sample of patients 18 years and older, seen by an NP were invited to participate in completing the Nurse Practitioner Satisfaction Survey (NPSS). Data collection concluded after a one-month period (N = 108). Descriptive statistics, between group differences, and correlational analyses were conducted. Participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymity, confidentiality, and privacy were ensured. General patient satisfaction was very high for NP care on Guam. "My NP is caring" was the highest scoring item on the NPSS with a mean score of 4.43 (n=56). Participants selected the NP as providing the health education and care the patient found most satisfying. A statistically significant weak negative correlation between patient satisfaction and age and level of injury was found. Singles reported significantly higher patient satisfaction scores than widowers. Study limitations included the small sample size, convenience sampling, social desirability and selection bias. Caring is an essential tenet of NP care and patient satisfaction. Improving NP role clarity is vital to the continued success and growth of the NP profession. The value that NPs bring to primary care is substantiated by the high patient satisfaction levels consistently produced from studies across the globe. In order for NPs to significantly impact the primary care provider shortage all 50 states and the US territories must enact full practice authority (FPA).

This study examines the experience of managing Type 2 diabetes from the perspective of Part-European people from Fiji who have this disorder. A qualitative approach was used, and the methodology was grounded theory based on the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism. Data was collected from the in-depth interviews of nine participants who have been living with Type 2 diabetes. Text from the interview transcripts was analysed using the version of grounded theory advocated by Strauss and Corbin (1998). This process facilitated the discovery of 'Carrying On With Life And Living' as the main concern shared by Part-Europeans managing Type 2 diabetes. It also identified the substantive theory of 'Walking The Line' as the core category and the basic social and psychological process by which Part-Europeans resolve their main concern of 'Carrying On With Life And Living'. This was a three-stage process involving firstly 'Carrying on Regardless', secondly 'Attempting Balance in Time and Motion and Control', and thirdly 'Balancing, Unbalancing, and Recovering Balance'. The results of this study reveal that the social and historical contexts of Part-European culture, such as heavy drinking, carrying on with life and living in the face of adversity, and taking traditional medicine impact significantly throughout their managing process. Findings of this study may contribute to development of some culturally aware strategies that could assist healthcare services to provide appropriate support, intervention, and education for Part-Europeans with Type 2 diabetes. This study also addresses the lack of studies concerned with the management of Type 2 diabetes in Pacific peoples and serves to inform research initiatives and priorities set by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.

Landfill leachates are a concern in the Pacific Region where they may contribute contaminants to the coastal marine environment. Poor waste management and pollution of coastal waters are amongst the major environmental problems in Kiribati, particularly in South Tarawa. An investigation of areas adjacent to coastal landfill sites; Betio, Kiribati and Auckland, New Zealand was undertaken. The Kiribati case study investigated metal contamination in marine sediments at an operational landfill while the New Zealand study was adjacent to a coastal landfill decommissioned in the 1970s. Surficial sediments (top 15 cm) were collected along transects. At both the New Zealand and Kiribati sites, 3 transects adjacent to the landfill and 1 control transect were sampled. The sediments were analyzed for particle size distribution, organic matter content, and Cd, As, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni and Zn concentrations. The pH was also measured. The Kiribati study site had a groundwater pH of 7.14 - 8.85, and sediment materials were dominated by sand with a low organic matter content (1.60 - 2.21 %). At the Kiribati sites Cd, As, and Ni were below the detection limits. The Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations were lower at the Kiribati control transect than the landfill transects. Cr level decreased away from the landfill indicating the landfill as a possible source. However, Cu and Zn did not show any distribution pattern suggesting other potential sources (port and shipwrecks) may have contributed to the elevated levels. At the Kiribati landfill and control transects the Cr, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn concentration were below the Effects Range-Low (ERL) and the threshold Effects levels (TEL) of the Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQCs) of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, indicating no potential adverse ecological effects on the biota. At the Kiribati control site the Cr, As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn concentrations were within the background ranges published for clean reef sediment but the concentration at the landfill transects exceeded the background ranges. The concentration of mercury at both the control and landfill transects in Kiribati exceeded the Effects Range-Median (ERM) and the Probable Effects Level (PEL) of the SQGs indicating potential adverse ecological effects on the local benthic communities. The New Zealand study site sediments had a pH of 6.22 - 7.24, and comprised up to 90 % clay/silt, with an organic matter content of 5 - 22 %. At the New Zealand landfill transects Arsenic concentrations decreased away from the landfill indicating the landfill as a possible source. Other metals such as Cr did not show a pattern of distribution along the transects, or with depth, suggesting that the landfill was not the only source of these metals. There was a weak correlation between organic matter content, particle size distribution, and metal enrichment. At the New Zealand site, there were no marked differences in metal concentrations between the landfill and control transects suggesting the landfill was not the only source of metals and that the wider urban or industrial run-off may have contributed. All the metal concentrations, except Hg and Zn, exceeded the ERL and the TEL values indicating the potential for adverse ecological effects of metals on the benthic communities. At the New Zealand site the Hg and Zn concentrations exceeded both the ERM and PEL of the SQGs and are considered highly contaminated.

<p>In an era of 'global' oceans crisis, marine conservationists have issued a resounding call to increase the spatial scale of ocean conservation. This dissertation examines the drivers and implications of recent efforts to scale up ocean conservation in places simultaneously celebrated for their revival of community-based conservation: the Pacific Islands region, the Micronesian sub-region, and the nation of Palau. Toward this end, this research engages and advances critical human geography theory on scalar politics and institutional theory on the governance of common pool resources to address the overarching questions: why and how are state and non-state actors rescaling ocean conservation, and with what social, political, and institutional consequences? These questions are approached empirically through a multi-sited case study that ethnographically tracks institutions, actors, funding, and agendas from the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to five Pacific Island nations and territories, revealing the links among macro and micro level processes in diverse political and geographical spaces. </p><p> This research conceptualizes the rescaling of ocean conservation as an integral component of social struggles for empowerment. Results illustrate how state and non-state actors pursue their contextually specific goals by working together to scale up the objects of ocean conservation. The means through which they achieve rescaling include discursive framings, performative acts, and institutional changes. Most significantly, these `scalar practices' have resulted in empowerment of environmental non-governmental organizations and Pacific Island governments within multi-level conservation governance processes; accumulation of international attention and funding at the regional level in Micronesia; and reduced local autonomy for conservation governance in Palau.</p><p> Overall, this work contributes an empirically grounded, theoretically engaged, and policy-relevant analysis of the scalar politics and institutional dynamics that are reshaping the actors, objectives, and institutions of contemporary ocean conservation across multiple levels of governance. Conclusions advance theory on the scalar dimensions of environmental governance by conceptualizing regions as strategically constructed tools of environmental politics; expanding understanding of the form and function of multi-level regimes for the governance of large common pool resources; and advancing constructive theoretical dialogue between critical human geographers and institutional theorists. This work may also inform policy discussions by illuminating complex tradeoffs that result from scalar rearrangements.</p> / Dissertation