Addressing the Podiatry Needs of Pacific Matua Through Community-based Service Delivery – Prioritising Collaborative Engagement Approaches

Introduction: Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) experience poorer health and greater unmet health needs than the non-Pacific population, often due to financial or language barriers, monocultural assumptions and practices of healthcare professionals. Within the plethora of health and social issues faced by Pacific matua (older Pacific people), podiatric (foot) health is increasingly recognised as a vital component for health and wellbeing for older Pacific people. This study used a co-design approach to investigate podiatric health amongst a cohort of Pacific matua based in Auckland, NZ. Methods: Seventy-eight Pacific matua, recruited from amongst the four largest Pacific ethnicities in NZ, participated as co-researchers in the project. Talanoa and participatory action research methods were used by the team, which comprised Pacific matua representatives, university-based podiatry staff and students and academic researchers, to co-design and deliver sessions on footcare assessment and maintenance. Findings/outcomes measure: Overall, lower limb health was good; however, 13 Pacific matua required follow-up for thickened toenails and other minor issues such as dry skin. Two Pacific matua were referred to their family physician for further assessment of suspected melanoma underneath the toenail. Conclusions: Regular podiatric assessments and maintenance sessions were highlighted as important events for Pacific matua. The fundamental requisites for effective community–academic partnerships with Pacific matua are grounded in collaborative processes, regular consultation, and sustained engagement.