Kidd, JWharakura, MKLaking, GMcGregor, DDobson, RJull, A2025-12-042025-12-042024-10-18Journal of Health Psychology, ISSN: 1359-1053 (Print); 1461-7277 (Online), SAGE Publications, 30(10), 2731-2742. doi: 10.1177/135910532412890491359-10531461-7277http://hdl.handle.net/10292/20269Venous leg ulcers have impact on people’s lives far beyond that of a skin lesion but these impacts have not been explored from an Indigenous perspective. We used a Māori-centered narrative approach to interview 13 Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand with venous leg ulcers. Data analysis was informed by a reflexive thematic approach and four themes were identified: Ko waewae ahau (I wear the leg); Ngā mea hōhā (annoying things); Ka tangi te ngākau (heartfelt grief); and Mamae (pain, sore, hurt). Recognizing patients’ expertise in their condition, the inclusion of whānau (family) in care planning and provision, while providing consistent advice and resource access, would all enhance the experience of venous ulcer management. Training in venous leg ulcer care needs to move beyond a focus on the leg and toward a more holistic approach that encompasses a broader understanding of patient experiences and cultural contexts when managing venous ulcers.© The Author(s) 2024. Creative Commons License (CC BY 4.0). This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Indigenous populationMāoriNew Zealandexperiencequalitative researchvenous leg ulcers52 Psychology5203 Clinical and Health Psychology5201 Applied and Developmental PsychologyPain Research7.1 Individual care needsSkin3 Good Health and Well Being1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy1701 Psychology1702 Cognitive SciencesPublic Health5201 Applied and developmental psychology5203 Clinical and health psychologyHumansNew ZealandMaleQualitative ResearchFemaleMiddle AgedVaricose UlcerAgedAdultLeg UlcerInterviews as TopicMaori PeopleHumansVaricose UlcerLeg UlcerQualitative ResearchAdultAgedMiddle AgedNew ZealandFemaleMaleInterviews as TopicMaori PeopleHumansNew ZealandMaleQualitative ResearchFemaleMiddle AgedVaricose UlcerAgedAdultLeg UlcerInterviews as TopicMaori PeopleJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1177/13591053241289049