Bay of Plenty Centre

Personnel

• Dr Chris Moyes
• Ms Amohaere Tangitu
• Dr John Waldon

ISAAC had its birth in the Bay of Plenty in a preliminary trial of the parental questionnaire in 8-12 year olds in Kawerau in 1992. The initial intent was to depend on parents returning questionnaires sent through the schools, but a poor response of less than 40% was immensely improved by use of a local public health nurse personally contacting parents, which resulted in 82% participation.

Subsequent interest was stimulated by community concerns that industrial fumes from Kawerau paper mills or natural sulphurous emissions in Rotorua might influence asthma prevalence or severity.

The Eastern Bay of Plenty has a high proportion of Maori and socioeconomic deprivation spread diffusely over a large rural area, with many small primary schools. The schools surveyed in the formal ISAAC studies included the more central parts of the Eastern Bay of Plenty around Whakatane, Kawerau, and Opotiki together with urban Rotorua. Outlying rural areas were not included.

Phase 1 was carried out by subcontracting the Hepatitis Foundation (who had extensive experience of school surveys) from May to September 1992. Questionnaires on 2681 6-7yr old children were completed (87% of target) in 45 schools. 2813 secondary school pupils participated in the survey (89% of target).

Phase 3 ran from August to October 2002 and utilised staff from the Eastern Bay of plenty Maori Health unit centred at Whakatane Hospital. It was felt that the relative lack of research experience of this team would be compensated by their positive attitude and a greater acceptance among Maori schoolchildren and parents (just under half of population studied). Training was provided by the core team at Auckland and particular thanks are due to Philippa Ellwood.

It was immediately apparent that the conditions for the Phase 3 survey were going to be much more difficult. Schools were generally less supportive, feeling under pressure from curriculum changes, and some schools opted out. The questionnaire was several times longer than Phase 1. Above all, the secondary students required active signed parental consent to participate rather than the ‘opt-off’ approach taken in Phase 1. It was therefore a credit to the Maori Health Team that completed questionnaires for 6-7 yr olds were obtained for 2150 (80%) of target children, and a much reduced but still statistically viable 1976 (76%) of target 13-14 yr olds.