Projects in Progress

International Student

Bridget Larson
Bridget is a graduate student at the University of Minnesota and was selected by the US National Science Foundation to participate in the 2009 East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students Program (EAPSI). Bridget received funding to travel to the University of Auckland for 8 weeks to perform secondary data analysis on the Youth'07 survey, a National Health and Wellbeing Survey of New Zealand Secondary School Students. The EAPSI program mission is to promote cross-cultural research experience and professional development. While in New Zealand, Bridget examined the relationship between body image attitudes and sexual risk-taking outcomes among New Zealand adolescents. Bridget has plans to publish a paper based on her research.

Analysis on the Pacific Data

Analosa Ulugia-Veukiso
Ms Analosa Ulugia-Veukiso has submitted her Massey University Public Policy Masters thesis: ‘An exploration of the sexual and reproductive health status and risk-taking behaviours of Samoan youth in New Zealand: and spirituality as a protective factor’. Her study of Samoan secondary school students was based on data from the first national Youth 2000 survey of the health and wellbeing of secondary school students in New Zealand , undertaken in 2001 by the Adolescent Health Research Group (AHRG).

Improving the health and social wellbeing of Pacific youth is a key priority for the New Zealand Government. It is widely recognised that the Pacific youth population experience a number of socioeconomic and health disparities compared to other ethnic groups living in New Zealand. The sexual health status of Pacific youth in NZ is concerning. However, ‘spiritual engagement’ is frequently reported as protective for Pacific young people.

The findings from Analosa’s Masters study confirm that attending church and having a spiritual belief is important for Samoan youth in New Zealand. However, the findings also show a surprising influence on nine sexual health activities selected. Her study explores the implications that these results may have on future research and Government policy.

Analosa is continuing with her academic studies with Massey University and will draw on data gathered from the second Youth2000 survey conducted in 2007 as well as interviews with Samoan young people. Her study will examine the risk and protective factors associated with risky sexual activity for Samoan youth in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Analosa is the Pacific Manager – Emerging Researchers at the Pacific Health Section, School of Population Health at The University of Auckland. She has previously worked in tertiary education as the National Pacific Liaison Adviser at Massey University and as a Social Worker with Child Youth and Family Services and Counties Manukau District Health Board (CMDHB). She is actively involved in her local Catholic community and also is a member of the CMDHB Community Panel that provides a community advisory function to management and staff within the District Health Board.