Tuesday 30 June 2020 1:34pm
EDOR researchers have published a qualitative study of perceptions of infant and child sleep practices among Māori whānau, in AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples.
Dr Lisa Te Morenga led the Moe Kitenga project, which used qualitative methods to explore the diverse realities of sleep in 14 Māori whānau.
EDOR Director Rachael Taylor, along with EDOR members Reremoana Theodore, Rosalina Richards and Barbara Galland, also contributed to the research.
The POI (Prevention of Overweight in Infancy) study, among others, has shown that insufficient sleep is a strong risk factor for unhealthy weight gain in children. Interventions around sleep could provide an avenue for improving health, well-being, and limiting excessive weight gain. However, current messages promoting good sleep may not be realistic for many Māori whānau.
Researchers concluded that for infant sleep interventions to prevent obesity and improve health outcomes for Māori children, they must take into account the often pressing social circumstances of many Māori whānau that are a barrier to adopting infant sleep recommendations.
View the Moe Kitenga paper
Moe Kitenga: a qualitative study of perceptions of infant and child sleep practices among Māori whānau, AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 21 June, 2020
Read more about EDOR's sleep studies
- New funding awarded to develop a sleep toolkit for tamariki and their whānau
- Moemoeā - sleep, health, communication, and wellbeing
- Sleep, Screen use, Nutrition and Activity using Photo Images in Teens: the SNAP IT study
- Diet, Rest, Eating and Activity Monitoring: the DREAM study
- POI: Prevention of overweight in infancy