Mana Health: Understanding the Role of Mana Exchange in Optimizing Native Hawaiian Health

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dc.contributor.advisorBraun, Kathryn L.
dc.contributor.authorMakahi, Emily K.
dc.contributor.departmentPublic Health
dc.date.accessioned2023-07-11T00:20:23Z
dc.date.available2023-07-11T00:20:23Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.degreeDr.P.H.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/105093
dc.subjectPublic health
dc.subjectIndigenous research methodologies
dc.subjectMana
dc.subjectMana Exchange
dc.subjectNative Hawaiian health
dc.titleMana Health: Understanding the Role of Mana Exchange in Optimizing Native Hawaiian Health
dc.typeThesis
dcterms.abstractMauli Ola, or Native Hawaiian wellness, is a holistic view of health that includes physical, mental, emotional well-being, and spirituality (Wegner & University of Hawaii at Manoa: Department of Sociology, 1989). However, Mauli Ola was impacted by several historical moments that led to changes in the cultural, political, and national sovereignty of Hawaiian civilization. The introduction of colonial control affected the health status of the indigenous people, who now have a health status far below that of dominant White United States population groups (McCubbin & Marsella, 2009). Despite the importance of spirituality among Native Hawaiians and the potential of mana-filled interventions to improve well-being, no studies have been done to assess how Mana is defined and experienced on the individual level and best integrated into healthcare programs and systems and evaluation methods. This dissertation was comprised of three studies. Study 1 collected data using phenomenology methods to understand how Native Hawaiians experience Mana and with whom/what they interact with to acquire positive Mana. Findings helped to define Mana Exchange and identify six factors of Mana Exchange. The Mana Exchange Survey (MES), used as an instrument to measure frequency of Mana Exchange behaviors, was created and the following studies were used to test validity of MES instrument. Study 2 conducted cognitive interviews to test the face validity of the MES instrument and test its acceptability among Native Hawaiian adults. Interviews informed new versions of the MES by informing the researchers to add, revise, and retain items. The findings of this study led to a final MES instrument that is novel to Native Hawaiian spirituality evaluation that measures Mana Exchange as a quantitative behavior of Mana. Study 3 used psychometric testing of the MES to continue to test the instrument’s validity. Statistical analysis showed that the MES measured three factors of Mana Exchange, titled Ao, Pō, and Akua. Individuals can acquire positive Mana through Ao, the living, through Pō, the spiritual realm of deceased individuals, and through Akua, things and people regarded in high spiritual beings. Findings also suggest that the MES is a reliable and valid instrument worthy of further exploration and study. Overall, findings from this dissertation highlight the ability for Native Hawaiian health-related constructs to be captured through instrument development that is accepted by the community and statistically significant. This dissertation has added to the scholarship of Mana and continue highlight need to increase best practices to evaluating Native Hawaiian health.
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.publisherUniversity of Hawai'i at Manoa
dcterms.rightsAll UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dcterms.typeText
local.identifier.alturihttp://dissertations.umi.com/hawii:11686

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