Contextualizing Maternal Health in Hawaiʻi: Historical, Cultural and Social Determinants of Health for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

Virtual training provided by the Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Branch on June 15, 2022. This webinar addressed the historical, cultural, and social determinants of health for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The speakers provided important context to the maternal health disparities that many of our public health professionals observe in their work. The panel discussed the historical influences that have contributed to deep-rooted social inequities, discrimination, and biases that impact the health and well-being of NHPIs today. The speakers also shared recommendations for advancing health equity for these communities at the individual, program, institutional, and policy levels.

Dr. Andrea Hermosura

Assistant Professor 
Department of Native Hawaiian Health
John A. Burns School of Medicine
at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Andrea Hermosura, PhD is a Native Hawaiian Assistant Professor in the Department of Native Hawaiian Health and licensed psychologist at The Queen’s Medical Center. Her research interests include health inequities, how factors like perceived racism and implicit racial bias impact the health inequities experienced by Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders, and community-based participatory research

Dr. Rebecca Delafield

Assistant Professor 
Department of Native Hawaiian Health
John A. Burns School of Medicine
at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Dr. Rebecca Delafield is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Native Hawaiian Health at the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine. Her research interests include maternal and perinatal health, health and healthcare disparities impacting Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities, implicit racial bias, and community-based participatory research. In addition to her academic research, Dr. Delafield is involved in various initiatives working to improve health in Hawai‘i and health equity for NHPI communities locally and nationally.

Dr. Joseph Keawe Kaholokula

Professor and Chair
Department of Native Hawaiian Health
John A. Burns School of Medicine
at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Dr. Joseph Keawe Kaholokula is Professor and Chair of Native Hawaiian Health in the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a licensed clinical psychologist. His research involves developing community-based and culturally relevant health promotion programs to address diabetes and cardiovascular disease inequities in Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders using community-based participatory research approaches. As a Native Hawaiian, he is passionate about improving the health of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and has made a lifelong commitment to improving their social and cultural determinants of health.