Poster Presentation ESA-SRB-ANZOS 2025 in conjunction with ENSA

Utilising culturally tailored research methods to understand the acceptability of screening children for type 2 diabetes, from the perspectives of parents of Māori & Pacific Islander descent living in Australia (126894)

Jessica Hardt 1 , Jacqueline Walker 1 , Brooke Devlin 1 , Robyn Littlewood 1 2 , Tony Huynh 1 3
  1. The University of Queensland, The University Of Queensland, QUEENSLAND, Australia
  2. Queensland Health, Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  3. Queensland Health, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

The rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) among children remains underdetermined due to inconsistencies in screening methodology and limited availability of research studies (1,2). Māori & Pacific Islander individuals living in Australia are three times more likely to develop diabetes and seven times more likely to develop diabetes-related complications, compared to Australian-born individuals (3). The project aims to utilise culturally appropriate research methods to assess the acceptability of screening children for T2DM, from the perspectives of Māori & Pacific Islander parents.

Māori or Pacific Islander parents living in Australia with at least one child younger than 18 years, will be invited to complete an online survey and/or talanoa/kōrero session (semi-structured interview). The project will be guided by Māori & Pacific Islander research methodologies and individuals of Māori or Pacific Islander descent, promoting cultural safety and empowerment. Extensive cultural knowledge will inform participant recruitment and all research questions. Patient-centred outcomes research will be embedded in data collection, to inform acceptable screening strategies and research dissemination.

The project aims to collect ~200 survey responses and ~15 talanoa/kōrero sessions Australia-wide, by the end of 2025. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses of the survey data will identify trends relating to engagement with the health system, family history of T2DM and screening acceptance. Thematic analyses of the talanoa/kōrero sessions will reveal key themes and a deeper understanding of participant beliefs relating to screening. Results will identify the barriers and enablers to screening children for T2DM, informing future implementation strategies.

By using a combination of design thinking, implementation science and patient-centred outcomes research frameworks, and embedding culturally appropriate research methodologies, this project will be culturally safe and highly acceptable to the Māori & Pacific Islander community. Outcomes will promote community empowerment and the importance of T2DM screening among children, ultimately contributing to T2DM prevention.

  1. 1. Lynch JL, Barrientos-Pérez M, Hafez M, Jalaludin MY, Kovarenko M, Rao PV, et al. Country-Specific Prevalence and Incidence of Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Literature Review. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2020;76(5):289-96.
  2. 2. Wu H, Patterson CC, Zhang X, Ghani RBA, Magliano DJ, Boyko EJ, et al. Worldwide estimates of incidence of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents in 2021. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 2022;185:109785.
  3. 3. Queensland Health. Queensland Health’s response to Pacific Islander and Māori health needs assessment. Division of the Chief Health Officer. Brisbane: Queensland Health; 2011. p. 61. Available from: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0037/385867/qh-response-data.pdf