Abstract â–¡ 24

This paper describes the development of a programme aimed at preventing SIDS among Pacific people in NZ. This programme is designed specifically with cultural protocols and understandings, which are appropriate to the worldview and practices of Pacific people as migrants in NZ. The paper discusses the training SIDS community educator workers and their activities the training of community SIDS educator workers and their activities.

SIDS was not thought to be significantly prevalent among Pacific people in NZ mainly because the syndrome is not being reported in the Pacific countries. However, closer examination of existing data in NZ indicates that there are increasing numbers of Pacific SIDS deaths over the past ten years and that up to 35% of Pacific infant deaths are SIDS. This lead to the creation of a specific prevention programme for Pacific SIDS and a research project to retrospectively define the problem and its associated issues.

The results from this research project confirm the increasing trend to provide information on the magnitude of SIDS within the heterogeneous Pacific population in NZ. The experiences with undertaking research in a migrant population highlights an array of issues relevant to contextualising the realities of minorities at the margin on several levels.