An investigation of the relationship between cultural identity and loneliness in older Māori : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Abstract

New Zealand, along with many other countries around the world, is experiencing an ageing population. This has led to research with a focus on the well-being of older adults. A large part of this research is centred around loneliness. In New Zealand-based research, it has been shown Māori are disproportionately affected by negative health outcomes. Despite this, there is a current lack of research with a direct focus on loneliness in older Māori. Internationally, cultural identity (CI) in indigenous and minority populations has been shown to be related to loneliness however there is no current research on the relationship between CI and loneliness in older Māori. This study aimed to investigate this relationship. A secondary analysis of data from the 2020 survey wave of the Health, Work, and Retirement (HWR) study was completed. Participants (N=653) were included in this study if they were aged 65 and over, and indicated their prioritised ethnicity as Māori. Loneliness was measured using the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and Māori CI was measured using the Multidimensional Model of Māori Identity and Cultural Engagement (third revised version). The hypothesised negative relationships between Māori CI and loneliness, and Māori CI and emotional loneliness was not supported however a significant negative correlation was found between Māori CI and social loneliness. Māori CI moderated the relationships between depression and anxiety and outcome (overall and social loneliness). Multiple regression analyses revealed overall and social loneliness were significantly associated with the whanau efficacy CI dimension. None of the other dimensions of the CI measure were related to any type of loneliness. This study recommends further exploration into the relationships revealed. The moderating role of CI should be considered when analysing relationships between antecedents and loneliness. A culturally-sensitive definition of age and new measures of Māori CI should be considered in future research.