Health Care Experiences of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Adults
For this project, seven focus groups were conducted between June-August 2024 virtually among a total of 45 adults who self-identified as having a Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHPI) background. Three groups (Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Marshallese/Micronesian adults) were conducted among participants living in Hawaiʻi. Participants lived on the islands of Hawaiʻi, Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi (outreach to adults living on all islands was conducted). In the continental U.S., four groups were conducted among adults who identified as NHPI living in (1) California, (2) Pacific Northwest (AK, WA, NV, UT), (3) Washington or Oregon, and (4) other states in the continental U.S. Groups were mixed gender, lasted between 90 minutes and two hours, and were conducted in English with 5-8 participants each.
For each group, participants were chosen based on the following criteria: Must be at least 18 years of age and self-identify as having an NHPI background. Groups included multiracial (“in combination”) and single-race (“alone”) adults of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander ethnicity who indicated that their ethnicity was “extremely” or “very” important to how they think about themselves. All participants said they had seen a health care provider within the past three years. In addition, groups were chosen to represent a mix of household composition, including at least some participants who are parents; a mix of health statuses, including those living with a chronic condition; a mix of household income levels, with a preference for recruiting lower income participants; and a mix of health insurance types.
PerryUndem recruited the focus groups and Ward Research hosted the focus groups, using NHPI moderators who live in Hawaiʻi. The screener questionnaire and discussion guides were developed by researchers at KFF in consultation with the firms who recruited and hosted the groups as well as community representatives from Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations, the National Association of Pasifika Organizations, and Papa Ola Lokahi. Groups were audio and video recorded with participants’ permission. Each participant was given an incentive between $100-$175 after participating.
| Participant Characteristics | |
| NHPI Identity | Number |
| Native Hawaiian | 17 |
| Samoan | 17 |
| Tongan | 3 |
| Micronesian | 6 |
| Marshallese | 2 |
| Chamorro | 3 |
| Fijian | 1 |
| Note: Values exceed number of total participants because some participants identified with multiple NHPI backgrounds. | |
| Gender | |
| Men | 17 |
| Woman | 26 |
| Other | 2 |
| Age | |
| 18-29 | 9 |
| 30-49 | 25 |
| 50-64 | 10 |
| 65+ | 1 |
| Insurance Type | |
| Private | 22 |
| Medicaid | 19 |
| Uninsured | 3 |
| Medicare | 1 |
| States | |
| Hawaiʻi | 21 |
| California | 6 |
| Washington | 6 |
| Oregon | 2 |
| Nevada | 2 |
| Utah | 2 |
| Alaska | 1 |
| Ohio | 1 |
| Oklahoma | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 |
| Arizona | 1 |
| New Mexico | 1 |