JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Pandemics, such as COVID-19, and climate change-related cataclysmic weather episodes are increasing, impacting social connectedness within communities by disrupting communities, increasing loneliness, and affecting mental health and social wellbeing. Digital technology, in addition to being used for communication, education, and business trade, also plays a vital role in maintaining a country's health and well-being and sustaining economic growth.

Objective:

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Māori kaumātua in using digital technology to meet their health needs within Ngāti Kahungunu, North Island, New Zealand, during the COVID-19 pandemic and Cyclone Gabrielle.

Methods:

This qualitative study employed Kaupapa Māori methodology to understand the challenges, resilience, and approaches used by Māori to maintain connectedness and access essential services. An inductive approach to thematic analysis, as recommended by Braun & Clarke, was used to ensure a thorough and robust data analysis. The user characteristic was assessed by using the information provided in the narrative text on a semantic level.

Results:

Findings highlight the role of digital technology in disaster management and the urgent need to address digital disparities to support vulnerable populations. In this study, fourteen people were interviewed, of whom 71.4% were female and 28.6% were male. These participants fell into different age groups: 25% were 55+, 33.3% were 65+, 25% were 85+, and the rest were 40+, 60+, and 75+. Of the total sample, 42.9% were limited users, 42.9 % comprised confident users, and the rest (14.2%) were normal users. Six themes emerged from the interview data: social connectedness and resilience, digital literacy and access to information, barriers to telecommunications and digital technology, Cultural appropriateness and psychological barriers, perceived threats of feeling insecure, and impact on mental health and emotional well-being.

Conclusions:

Vulnerable situations like pandemics and extreme weather events can have tremendous effects on the lives of Indigenous people who live remotely. The study also focused on the actions that should be taken to mitigate these challenges and overcome difficult circumstances, such as the pandemic and the cyclone. The recommendations include a better healthcare system and improved coordination among care providers, user-friendly digital solutions, ensuring local funding and community services, establishing training processes for basic digital skills, and fostering leadership and partnerships with Indigenous New Zealanders.