While a large proportion of the population in Papua New Guinea (PNG) maintain a subsistence lifestyle, exposure to modernisation and industrialisation since European contact has influenced a transition towards Western diets. This review aimed to scope and summarise the published research on dietary intake among Pacific Islander adults in PNG. Four electronic databases and grey literature were searched. Two reviewers completed the screening and data extraction. Fourteen studies were included from the Highlands (n = 7), Southern (n = 5), Momase (n = 1) and both the Highlands/Southern region (n = 1). No studies were from the Islands region. The majority of the studies were published prior to the year 2000 (n = 9). Geographical region and degree of urbanisation had an impact on dietary intake. Urban areas reported higher intakes of energy, protein and fat compared to rural areas. In the Southern region, a variety of foods, including sago, taro, kaukau, cooked banana, coconut and cassava contributed to energy intake, while kaukau was the main energy and protein source in the Highlands. The main foods contributing to protein in the Southern region were fresh fish, land animals and purchased animals. This review highlights an evidence gap regarding dietary intake research. Within the context of international initiatives, there is an urgent call for research aimed at understanding the social and cultural contextualisation of dietary behaviours in PNG.

The health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) is uniquely impacted by structural and social determinants of health (SSDH) shaped by immigration policies and colonization practices, patterns of settlement, and racism. These SSDH also create vast heterogeneity in disease risks across the AANHPI population, with some ethnic groups having high disease burden, often masked with aggregated data. Longitudinal cohort studies are an invaluable tool to identify risk factors of disease, and epidemiologic cohort studies among AANHPI populations have led to seminal discoveries of disease risk factors. This review summarizes the limited but growing literature, with a focus on SSDH factors, from seven longitudinal cohort studies with substantial AANHPI samples. We also discuss key information gaps and recommendations for the next generation of AANHPI cohorts, including oversampling AANHPI ethnic groups; measuring and innovating on measurements of SSDH; emphasizing the involvement of scholars from diverse disciplines; and, most critically, engaging community members to ensure relevancy for public health, policy, and clinical impact.

The availability and accuracy of data on a patient\'s race/ethnicity varies across databases. Discrepancies in data quality can negatively impact attempts to study health disparities.
We conducted a systematic review to organize information on the accuracy of race/ethnicity data stratified by database type and by specific race/ethnicity categories.
The review included 43 studies. Disease registries showed consistently high levels of data completeness and accuracy. EHRs frequently showed incomplete and/or inaccurate data on the race/ethnicity of patients. Databases had high levels of accurate data for White and Black patients but relatively high levels of misclassification and incomplete data for Hispanic/Latinx patients. Asians, Pacific Islanders, and AI/ANs are the most misclassified. Systems-based interventions to increase self-reported data showed improvement in data quality.
Data on race/ethnicity that is collected with the purpose of research and quality improvement appears most reliable. Data accuracy can vary by race/ethnicity status and better collection standards are needed.

To better understand the epidemiology of preterm birth among Pacific Islanders in the United States and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands.
Systematic searches of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, two nonindexed regional journals, and gray literature were conducted and finalized in September 2021. Observational studies published since January 2010 that documented preterm birth outcomes among Pacific Islanders in the United States and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands were eligible for inclusion. Outcomes of interest included preterm birth prevalence, risk compared with white women, and risk factors for preterm birth among Pacific Islanders.
Fourteen of the 3183 screened articles were included in meta-analyses. Random-effects models were used for pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals. The pooled prevalence of preterm birth among Pacific Islanders was 11.2%, 95% CI: 9.3%-13.6%. Marshallese women had the highest pooled prevalence (20.7%, 95% CI 18.6%-23.0%) among Pacific Islander subgroups. Compared with white women, Pacific Islander women had higher odds of experiencing preterm birth (OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.28-1.53). Four risk factors for preterm birth could be explored with the data available: hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and pre-pregnancy body mass index; hypertension and diabetes significantly increased the odds of preterm birth.
Existing literature suggests that United States Pacific Islanders were more likely to experience preterm birth than white women, although the pooled prevalence varied by Pacific Islander subgroup. Data support the need for disaggregation of Pacific Islanders in future research and argue for examination of subgroup-specific outcomes to address perinatal health disparities.

The Pacific Island countries of the Western Pacific Region have some of the highest rates of sexually transmitted Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in the world. Despite this, there are few research studies that include Pacific Islanders. We conducted a narrative review of original research and surveys, including World Health Organization and Pacific Community reports, to determine the prevalence, management, and treatment of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae compared to HIV and syphilis from 1980 to 2022. Available epidemiologic data on C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae indicated an extremely high prevalence-approximately 30% and 13%, respectively-among Pacific Islanders during this timeframe. These neglected sexually transmitted infections represent a significant burden and health disparity. Robust epidemiologic research is needed to identify modifiable risk factors for designing interventions and control strategies. Appropriate policies along with regional and international advocacy and aid are required to improve reproductive health among these vulnerable, understudied populations to avert preventable infections and sequelae.

BACKGROUND: Multicomponent interventions can reduce cardiometabolic disease (CMD) risk factors in childhood; however, little synthesis of the literature has taken place in the Pacific region. Pacific Islanders experience a disproportionately high prevalence of CMD risk factors, yet interventions have been slow to reach many communities. We present this protocol for a scoping review to identify and summarize existing multicomponent interventions to address CMD risk in Pacific Islander children.
METHODS: Eligible interventions will (1) address CMD risk factors (including but not limited to obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and/or health behaviors) in 2-to-12-year-old Pacific Islander children, and (2) be multi-component (including at least two lifestyle/behavior change strategies to address CMD risk factors). To investigate existing interventions for adaptation and potential use in Pacific Islander communities, we will search Scopus, MEDLINE ALL (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), Yale-licensed Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Library, CINAHL (EBSCOhost), ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, Global Health (EBSCO), non-indexed Pacific journals, grey literature, government reports, and clinical trial registrations. The Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis and the Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews will guide data extraction, evidence mapping, synthesis, and reporting of information including study population, intervention components, behavioral changes, health and implementation outcomes, theoretical frameworks, and evaluation measures.
BACKGROUND: Formal ethical approval is not required. The dissemination strategy will include peer-reviewed journal publications and presentations. Synthesis of existing multicomponent interventions for Pacific Islander children will help to identify best practices that could be replicated, adapted, or combined.

Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) face unique barriers in seeking treatment for substance use disorders (SUD) and are less likely than the general population to receive treatment. Barriers specific to AAPI women may be especially significant given identified gender and racial differences in SUD prevalence and treatment. This review examines rates of SUD in AAPI women and summarizes the literature on SUD treatment for AAPI women.
Data from 2016 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) surveys were extracted to summarize rates of SUD. A scoping review of the literature on AAPI women and SUD treatment was conducted; eight articles published from 2010 to present were reviewed.
The prevalence of SUDs among AAPI women increased overall, although rates of SUDs were generally lower in AAPI women compared to their male counterparts. Patterns of gender differences in SUDs varied for subpopulations of AAPI women. There is limited research on treatment utilization and access for AAPI women. The few studies that examined treatment outcomes found favorable outcomes for AAPI women; research on culturally adapted interventions was promising but nascent.
Literature on SUD treatment for AAPI women is limited. The availability of more culturally tailored treatments addressing the specific needs of AAPI women may lead to more acceptability and treatment utilization for this group. Additional research is needed to elucidate the unique barriers to treatment AAPI women face.
With rising rates of substance use in AAPI women, there is a need to develop and test effective SUD treatments adapted for AAPI women.

Obesity and its sequelae are an increasing problem, disproportionally affecting Māori and Pacific peoples, secondary to multifactorial systemic causes, including the effects of colonisation and the impact of globalisation. There is limited synthesised evidence on interventions to address obesity in these populations. The objective of this review is to identify evaluated interventions for prevention and management of obesity amongst Māori and Pacific adults, assess the effectiveness of these interventions, and identify enablers and barriers to their uptake.
Systematic review of databases (Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, CENTRAL), key non-indexed journals, and reference lists of included articles were searched from inception to June 2021. Eligibility criteria defined using a Population, Intervention, Control, Outcome format and study/publication characteristics. Quantitative and qualitative data were extracted and analysed using narrative syntheses. Study quality was assessed using modified GRADE approach.
From the 8190 articles identified, 21 were included, with 18 eligible for quantitative and five for qualitative analysis. The studies were heterogenous, with most graded as low quality. Some studies reported small but statistically significant improvements in weight and body mass index. Key enablers identified were social connection, making achievable sustainable lifestyle changes, culturally-centred interventions and incentives including money and enjoyment. Barriers to intervention uptake included difficulty in maintaining adherence to a programme due to intrinsic programme factors such as lack of social support and malfunctioning or lost equipment.
Normal weight trajectory is progressive increase over time. Modest weight loss or no weight gain after several years may have a positive outcome in lowering progression to diabetes, or improvement of glycaemic control in people with diabetes. We recommend urgent implementation of Māori and Pacific-led, culturally-tailored weight loss programmes that promote holistic, small and sustainable lifestyle changes delivered in socially appropriate contexts.