The significance of a culturally appropriate health service for Indigenous Māori women

A culturally appropriate health service is contingent on the inclusion of client's cultural beliefs and practices into intervention plans. Not establishing key cultural beliefs and practices risks providing a health service that lacks relevance and compromises its efficacy for its recipients. Anecdotally, cultural appropriateness and acceptability of health services is often lacking for Māori women (indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand), hindering positive health experiences and outcomes. This paper explores an aspect of findings of research undertaken with Māori women to discover what was important for their health and well-being, and their interactions with mainstream health services. Data from semi-structured interviews with 38 Māori women was used to generate a Glaserian grounded theory informed by a Māori-centred approach to explain the weaving of their health and well-being. It explains, in part, the importance of determining Māori women's cultural worldviews and practices when assessing and planning effective interventions. Cultural safety and cultural competence will be explored as vehicles to improve culturally appropriate and acceptable health care for indigenous women.