An interdisciplinary collaboration
At the Public Health Resonance Project, we’re collaborating to grow the evidence base for regionally and culturally relevant physical activity for public health. Health promotion that supports community assets, values, history, and strengths is an important way to build health equity.
New research to build science from a public health perspective
Policy briefs to make research actionable to communities, policy makers, and others
Research synthesis to support health promotion for local and international relevance
Publications
Culturally Relevant Physical Activity in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in Hawai‘i
Tetine Sentell, PhD, Yan Yan Wu, PhD, Mele Look, MBA, Kapuaola Gellert, PhD, Tonya Lowery St. John, PhD, Lance Ching, PhD, MPH, Riko Lee, MPH, Catherine Pirkle, PhD, for Preventing Chronic Disease, 2023 May 25, 20:E43
About the article
Introduction: Culturally relevant physical activity is a promising field for chronic disease prevention and management. Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders have higher rates of physical inactivity than other racial or ethnic groups and increased risk of chronic disease. The study objective was to provide population-level data from Hawaiʻi on lifetime experiences in the Native Hawaiian Indigenous practices of hula and outrigger canoe paddling across demographic and health factors to identify opportunities for public health intervention, engagement, and surveillance.
Methods: Questions about hula and paddling were added to the Hawaiʻi 2018 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 13,548). We considered level of engagement by demographic categories and health status indicators, accounting for the complex survey design.
Results: Overall, 24.5% of adults engaged in hula and 19.8% in paddling in their lifetime. Prevalence of engagement was higher among Native Hawaiians (48.8% hula, 41.5% paddling) and Other Pacific Islanders (35.3% hula, 31.1% paddling) than among other racial and ethnic groups. In adjusted rate ratios, experience in these activities was strong across age groups, education, sex, and income levels, particularly among Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders.
Conclusion: Throughout Hawaiʻi, hula and outrigger canoe paddling are important and popular cultural practices with high physical activity demands. Participation was notably high for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders. Surveillance information around culturally relevant physical activities can benefit public health programming and research from a strength-based community perspective.
Press:
Native Hawaiian sports provide physical and spiritual wellness, study says by Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi for Hawaiʻi Public Radio
Outrigger Canoe Paddling on Maui
A policy brief by Sentell T et al. for The Public Health Resonance Project, June 9, 2024
Talks and Presentations
Surfing: A public health promotion opportunity
A poster by Sentell T, Thompson M, Philips M, Schmid S, Look M, Saiki K, Wu YY, Rodericks B, Soo Hoo C, Ching L, Yoshida A, Weldon R, Pirkle C, for the International Society for Physical Activity and Health Conference in Paris, France on October 28-31, 2024
Widespread engagement in spearfishing in Hawaiʻi – A culturally-relevant and accessible physical activity of global significance
A poster by Hansen L, Pirkle C, Lowery St. John T, Ching L, Thompson M, Wu YY, Sentell T, for theInternational Society for Physical Activity and Health Conference in Paris, France on October 28-31, 2024
Culturally relevant physical activity is important for achieving health equity: Case study from Hawaiʻi
A presentation by Sentell T, Look M, Pirkle C, Ivin, Ylli A, Heil DP, Schmid S, Ching L, Rodericks B. for the International Society for Physical Activity and Health Conference in Paris, France on October 28-31, 2024
Surfing: A public health promotion opportunity
Sentell T, Thompson M, Phillips MM, Schmid S, Look M, Saiki K, Wu YY, Rodericks B, Soo Hoo C, Ching L, Yoshida A, Weldon R, Pirkle C., for the European Public Health Conference in Lisbon, Portugal on November 13-15, 2024
Culturally-relevant physical activities in comparison across levels of the social ecological model: Hula, surfing, paddling and spearfishing
Schmid S, Soo Hoo C, Finn J, Thompson M, Phillips MM, Pirkle C, Rodericks R, Ching L, Sentell T., for the American Public Health Association Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fall 2024
AccessMETs: An innovative project establishing metabolic equivalents of outrigger canoe paddling for health equity in real-life ocean conditions for those with and without spinal cord injuries
Schmid S, Heil D, Yoshida A, Ching L, Funakoshi J, Kualau P, Sentell, T. for the American Public Health Association Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fall 24
Building the science for outrigger canoe paddling for paddlers with spinal cord injury as health promotion and for health equity
A presentation by Schmid S, Heil D, Yoshida A, Ching L, Funakoshi J, Kualau P, Sentell, T. for the American Public Health Association Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fall 2024
The association between culturally-relevant physical activities in Hawaiʻi and changes to physical activity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic
A poster by Thompson MD, Phillips MM, Rodericks R, Schmid S, Pirkle C, Ching L, Wu YY, Sentell T., for theAmerican Public Health Association Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Fall 2024
Adding culturally relevant physical activity to the behavioral risk factor surveillance system in Hawaiʻi: Lessons Learned
A presentation by Pirkle C, Lowery St. John T, Wu YY, Look M, Ching, Chosy EJ, Dudla S, Rodericks R, Sentell T., for the BRFSS Conference on April 15-18 2024
Metabolic equivalents of outrigger canoe paddling for health equity
Schmid S, Heil D., Yoshida A., Ching L, Sentell T., for the Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity, organized by the Center on Disability Studies at O’ahu, Hawaiʻi, in February 2024
Engagement in culturally-relevant physical activity (paddling, hula, surfing, and spearfishing) in the state of Hawai‘i over the lifecourse
Sentell T, Thompson M, Rodericks R, Schmid S, Pirkle C, Ching L, Look M, Wu YY, Dudla S, Finn J, Phillips MM., for the American Public Health Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in November 2023
Culturally-Relevant Physical Activity over the lifecourse and association with chronic disease
Sentell T, Thompson M, Rodericks R, Schmid S, Pirkle C, Ching L, Look M, Wu YY, Finn J, Phillips MM. European Public Health Conference. Dublin, Ireland. November 2023
Hula and Outrigger Canoe Paddling in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in Hawaiʻi
A poster by Sentell T, Wu Y, Look M, Gellert K, Lowery St. John T, Ching L, Lee R, Pirkle C., for the 24th IUPHE World Conference on Health Promotion. May 2022
In the media
Press releases:
UH researchers say hula can be a good way to get the heart pumping by Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi for Hawai’i Public Radio
Improving public health with hula is a focus of UH research by Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi for Hawai’i Public Radio
Hula dancing a ‘remarkable opportunity’ to promote public health, researchers say for the Hawai’i Tribune Herald
Leisure Time Physical Activity Preferences in Hawai‘i Across Diverse Racial/Ethnic Groups
A poster by Peck K, Keliikoa LB, Pirkle CM, Sentell TL., for the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 2019
AccessMETs
Simone Schmid, PI
While many sports and activities, such as walking, running, or lifting, have established their metabolic equivalents (METs), outrigger canoe paddling has yet to be measured for METs energy expenditure. You may already know that when you engage in paddling you create energy expenditure. However, establishing the corresponding METs will be instrumental in demonstrating the scientific benefits of paddling, which is an important culturally-relevant activity in Hawaiʻi and beyond.
This innovative project will establish METs for outrigger canoe paddling (recreational or competitive) for those with and without Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). We are thrilled for the opportunity to have Hawaiʻi steer this work!
This project is inspired by and modeled after the amazing work over many decades in hula.
Learn more about the groundbreaking work by that phenomenal team
UH study first to measure outrigger canoe paddling intensity for University of Hawai’i News
Report: Hula, Other Cultural Programs Can Improve Hawaiian Health by Anita Hofschneider for Honolulu Civil Beat
Hula to help combat dementia in Native, Pacific Islander communities for University of Hawai’i News
Hula study finds drop in blood pressure in Native Hawaiians for University of Hawai’i News
“I have been honored to co-supervise a fantastic postdoctoral fellow in an innovative position I created in collaboration with DOH partners, Simone Schmid. She has a funded project under Ola HAWAII that showcases collaborative expertise and momentum towards strengths based public health of value to communities.”
Thank you to the Chin Sik & Hyun Sook Chung Endowed Chair at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa and to many others for supporting the Public Health Resonance Project.
Tetine Sentell 