Papers by Gareth Treharne
We use the abbreviation LGBTAQ in this report to refer to the sample of students who identified a... more We use the abbreviation LGBTAQ in this report to refer to the sample of students who identified as lesbian/gay (or takatÄpui), bisexual (or pansexual), trans, asexual, questioning, and/or queer*. These labels and this grouping are not necessarily comprehensive but they are a group of people with diverse sexual orientations and/or gender identities who share common experiences of being discriminated against for not being heterosexual (straight) or for being non-normative in their gender identity. In this report we to refer to individuals who identified as heterosexual and a binary gender by the abbreviation HAABG. No respondents to this survey identified as intersex and so we do not include an 'I' in the abbreviation in describing our specific findings, but we acknowledge that intersex individuals may share some of the experiences reported by our LGBTAQ respondents as well as facing specific challenges. We use the term trans to include people who identify as transgender, transsexual, or similar, including people who have a history of gender transition and/or trans experiences. We use the term queer* to highlight an inclusive and positive meaning of this reclaimed word. * " 'Queer' is a term used to describe the many variations of sexual attraction and sex/gender identity, including intersex, transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, asexual, fa'afafine, takatapui, lesbian, bisexual and gay. Although it may not be the preferred term for everyone, it is used to challenge binary representations of sexuality, sex, and gender." (Otago University Students' Association, n.d.) We acknowledge that this campus climate survey follows on from the work of Toni Woods (Unitec Institute of Technology, Auckland) and Susan Rankin (The Pennsylvania State University, US). We thank them for making their survey questions and findings available. We thank Otago University Students' Association for supporting the research. We also thank all of the students who completed the survey. Cover image adapted from a photograph by Mr Bungle; used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license.
This study investigated how lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender and/or queer people (L... more This study investigated how lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, transgender and/or queer people (LGBPTQ) perceive HIV/AIDS and rheumatoid arthritis as examples of chronic illnesses. HIV/AIDS continues to be the focus of most LGBPTQ-specific health psychology research. Little research has compared LGBPTQ peopleās perspectives of HIV/AIDS with other chronic illnesses. Thirteen focus groups were conducted with 50 LGBPTQ individuals in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Inductive thematic analysis led to development of three themes: stereotyping of chronic illnesses by LGBPTQ individuals; ways of differentiating HIV/AIDS from other chronic illnesses; and inadequacies of sexual health education for LGBPTQ people. These findings contribute diverse perspectives to the health psychology literature on chronic illnesses and have implications for sexual health education in Aotearoa/New Zealand that currently lacks inclusivity for LGBPTQ individuals.
Fears about COVIDā19 and perceived risk among people with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis following the initial lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand
Background The COVIDā19 pandemic has disrupted all aspects of life and may raise particular fears... more Background The COVIDā19 pandemic has disrupted all aspects of life and may raise particular fears for people with rheumatic disease. There is a need for research on fears and perceived risk of SARSāCoVā2 so as to understand the impact on wellbeing and inform service provision. Objectives The aim of this study was to examine the correlates of COVIDā19 fears and perceived risk of SARSāCoVā2 among people with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. Design A crossāsectional survey design was applied in Aotearoa New Zealand in the period after initial nationwide lockdowns. Method An online survey was completed from July to September 2020 by 126 individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (n = 96) or ankylosing spondylitis (n = 30) who had previously been recruited to the Patient Opinion RealāTime Anonymous Liaison (PORTAL) study in 2015 or 2018. The survey included demographics and health information as well as measures of COVIDā19 fears and experiences, functional disability and fatig...
References (clockwise from top of graphic) 1. Reisner SL, Poteat T, Keatley J, Cabral M, Mothopen... more References (clockwise from top of graphic) 1. Reisner SL, Poteat T, Keatley J, Cabral M, Mothopeng T, Dunham E, et al. Global health burden and needs of transgender populations: a review. The Lancet. 2016;388(10042):412-36. 2. Ramasubramanian, S. (2011) āThe Impact of Stereotypical Versus Counterstereotypical Media Exemplars on Racial Attitudes, Causal Attributions, and Support for Affirmative Actionā, Communication Research, 38(4):497ā516. 3. Macintosh, P. Queer Capital: Transgender representation in contemporary American cinema [masterās thesis]. Victoria University of Wellington; 2018. 4. Houkamau, C. What You Canāt See Can Hurt You: How do stereotyping, implicit bias and stereotype threat affect MÄori health. MAI Journal. 2016; 5(2):124-136 Contact details: For interest in participating in this study please contact: transGP-research@otago.ac.nz Cassie Withey-Rila, Masterās Student Email: cassie.withey-rila@postgrad.otago.ac.nz Twitter: @CassieDPH ORCID: 0000-0002-7594-5549 Healt...
Introduction: Encounters with Systems Within Which Critical Research Is Conducted
The Palgrave Handbook of Ethics in Critical Research
This chapter introduces the section about encounters with systems in critical research. Each chap... more This chapter introduces the section about encounters with systems in critical research. Each chapter presents a particular critical angle on ethics committees (also known as institutional review boards) as the primary system that critical researchers, like all health researchers and social researchers, are increasingly required to navigate. At the same time, the studies that provide the central stories in the chapters in this section feature encounters with a range of other social and health systems including healthcare organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and universities. Together, the chapters in this section highlight the distinctions between health research and social research, between research and practice, between risk avoidance models of ethical bureaucracy and relational models of ethical researching, and between critical research and hegemonic biomedical models of research.
Journal of Primary Health Care
INTRODUCTION Gout is a common form of arthritis that is typically managed in primary care. Gout m... more INTRODUCTION Gout is a common form of arthritis that is typically managed in primary care. Gout management guidelines emphasise patient education for successful treatment outcomes, but there is limited literature about the educational experiences of people living with gout in New Zealand, particularly for MÄori, who have higher gout prevalence and worse gout outcomes than PÄkehÄ. AIM To explore gout patient education in primary care from the perspectives of MÄori and PÄkehÄ people with gout. METHODS In total, 69 people with gout were recruited through primary care providers in three locations across New Zealand. Nine semi-structured focus groups were run with MÄori and PÄkehÄ participants in separate groups. RESULTS Thematic analysis yielded two themes in relation to gout education: (i) āMultiple sources of gout educationā; and (ii) āGaps in gout knowledgeā. Participants received education from general practitioners, educational resources, family and friends, and their own experienc...
Tangi te KawekaweÄ: WhÄnau engagement in Kaupapa MÄori Early Years Provision-an exploratory qualitative study
MAI Journal: A New Zealand Journal of Indigenous Scholarship, 2021
Kaupapa MÄori early years provision (KM-EYP) is often understood as a critical site for MÄori cul... more Kaupapa MÄori early years provision (KM-EYP) is often understood as a critical site for MÄori cultural revitalisation, where a foundation for the educational success and lifelong wellbeing of tamariki MÄori is laid. Given its importance, the Tangi te KawekaweÄ study sought to identify and examine barriers and facilitators of whÄnau engagement in KM-EYP. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with individual whÄnau members (n = 19) and whÄnau groups (n = 5) enrolled in one centre for KM-EYP, and with expert informants (n = 10). This paper reports on the insights gained. Inductive thematic analysis identified barriers to engagement (e.g., historical trauma, whakamÄ, whÄnau disconnection) and facilitators of engagement (e.g., critical awareness, emotional and practical support, whÄnauranga). These findings have the potential to inform policy and practice to enhance whÄnau MÄori engagement in the learning and development opportunities offered by KM-EYP and the early years sector more...
āIām actually pretty happy with how I amā: a mixed-methods study of young women with positive body image
Psychology & Health
Suicidality, self-harm, and their correlates among transgender and cisgender people living in Aotearoa/New Zealand or Australia
International Journal of Transgender Health
Exploring the role of online health information and social media in the illness experience of arthritisārelated fatigue: A focus group study
Musculoskeletal Care
Intuitive Eating Scale--Pregnancy
PsycTESTS Dataset
Tapering Biologic Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Qualitative Study of Patient Perspectives
The Patient - Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Abstract Background and objective Biologic therapies are cost effective for active rheumatoid art... more Abstract Background and objective Biologic therapies are cost effective for active rheumatoid arthritis but have adverse effects and are costly. Tapering of biologics is emerging as an important consideration when sustained remission is achieved. Recent trials have highlighted the clinical feasibility of tapering, but there is little evidence on how proposed tapering would be received by patients. The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing hypothetical decisions of patients with rheumatoid arthritis on tapering their biologics and their perspectives on remission and flare when considering the possibility of tapering. Methods Patients with rheumatoid arthritis with diverse experiences of biologics with different modes of administration were purposively sampled to participate in one of six focus groups (n = 43) or an individual interview (n = 2). Transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results Five overarching themes on what influences a participantās decision to taper their biologic were identified. First, participants were fearful of uncertain outcomes of tapering, especially flare and joint damage. Second, participants prioritized quality of life from continuing biologics over the risk of adverse effects. Third, tapering biologics was seen as providing relief from the inconvenience of taking biologics regularly. Fourth, participants wanted assurance of prompt access to healthcare if their rheumatoid arthritis were to flare when tapering. Fifth, preferences for involvement in decision making varied, but fulfilling information needs was desired to aid a patientās preferred role in decision making on tapering. Conclusions This study provides novel insight into the perspectives of patients with rheumatoid arthritis on tapering biologics when sustained remission is achieved at a crucial juncture in global affordability for healthcare systems. These patient perspectives can inform the planning of decision aids and clinical trials of decision-making processes when tapering is proposed.
Tapering biologic therapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis in remission: A review of patient perspectives and associated clinical evidence
Musculoskeletal Care
Enjoyment of exercise among people with arthritis: An inductive thematic analysis
Journal of health psychology, 2017
Past research into exercise among people with long-term health conditions has paid surprisingly l... more Past research into exercise among people with long-term health conditions has paid surprisingly little attention to the concept of enjoyment. This study explored enjoyment of exercise among people with arthritis. Semi-structured interviews were held with 12 participants aged 20-85āyears. The transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: enjoyment of exercise in relation to other people, benefits of exercise in relation to enjoyment, working around barriers to enjoy exercise and finding an enjoyable balance to exercise. These themes highlight the relevance of enjoyment and how it could feature in advice about exercise for people with arthritis.
Musculoskeletal care, Jan 13, 2017
Smokers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may have different motivations for, and barriers to, quitt... more Smokers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may have different motivations for, and barriers to, quitting. Understanding the motivations of smokers and ex-smokers with RA will help in the design and implementation of targeted smoking cessation interventions for people with RA that are not based solely on extrapolation from the general population or populations with other chronic illnesses. Twenty-nine smokers and 10 recent ex-smokers with RA participated in semi-structured interviews via telephone 18Ā months after being offered a smoking cessation intervention in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The sample consisted of 27 women and 12 men (age range 32-78Ā years), of whom 14 had received the intervention, 14 had been in the control group and 11 had declined participation in the trial. Thematic analysis led to the formulation of four "incentives" to quit and five "facilitators" of quitting for people with RA. Desiring improvements to health (overall and specific to arthritis), soci...
Exploring perceptions of a rheumatoid arthritis-specific smoking cessation programme
Musculoskeletal Care
Smoking cessation is an important consideration in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). T... more Smoking cessation is an important consideration in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of the present study was to determine which aspects of a novel three-month smoking cessation intervention were most useful for people with RA, and to identify areas for improvement. Thirty-eight current smokers with RA (19 intervention and 19 control) enrolled in a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT) of smoking cessation and two arthritis educators who had provided the intervention were interviewed. The data were analysed thematically using a combination of deductive and inductive approaches to identify themes. Intervention participants and the educators identified individualized support and advice as the two most important components of the smoking cessation intervention. The generic smoking cessation components and education about the links between smoking and RA were also identified as important. Nicotine replacement therapy was provided to all participants and was the most commonly reported facilitator of smoking cessation. People with RA who reported being ready to quit smoking had more success at smoking cessation. The educators were positive about ongoing provision of the smoking cessation intervention. The novel RA-specific smoking cessation intervention that had formed the basis of the previous RCT provided useful and varied options to assist quitting smoking in RA. Successful quitters were ready and motivated to quit smoking regardless of their randomization status, with nicotine replacement therapy an effective aid to quitting. Support offered by the educators was critical in the participants' perspective.
Validation of the Intuitive Eating Scale in pregnancy
Journal of Health Psychology
The objective of this study was to examine the content validity and testāretest reliability of th... more The objective of this study was to examine the content validity and testāretest reliability of the Intuitive Eating Scale among pregnant women. A qualitative think-aloud study of the Intuitive Eating Scale analysed the content validity. Overall, the Intuitive Eating Scale made sense to pregnant women, but food safety affected the interpretation of some items. A version with instructions modified accounting for food safety, the Intuitive Eating ScaleāPregnancy, was subsequently shown to have stable scores over 5āweeks during the second trimester, mean changeā=āā0.08 (95% limits of agreement: ā0.61 to 0.45), rā=ā0.79, nā=ā240. The Intuitive Eating ScaleāPregnancy was acceptable for use in this New Zealand pregnant population.
Rheumatology
the primary JDM complications completely remitted after a median length of hospitalization in the... more the primary JDM complications completely remitted after a median length of hospitalization in the PICU of 13.5 days (range, 188). Three patients remained dependent on enteral nutrition after PICU discharge before being weaned 2, 4 months and 2 years later. These findings suggest that prompt PE and CSs, possibly associated with rituximab, are an efficient therapeutic option for the treatment of lifethreatening primary JDM complications, especially in the subset of patients with severe vasculopathy. Such efficacy of PE in the rescue therapy for juvenile and adult DM in the acute phase has been previously reported in a few studies of patients with severe muscle weakness or complications unresponsive to conventional therapy [7, 8]. In conclusion, primary JDM vasculopathy-related complications were the most common causes for admission to PICUs, and had a favourable outcome despite severe life-threatening events. Larger studies are warranted to confirm the efficacy of PE for treating these severe complications.
The role of enjoyment in exercise for people with arthritis: Four different viewpoints from a Q-methodology study
Musculoskeletal care, Jan 7, 2016
There is limited research on the role of enjoyment of exercise among people with arthritis. The a... more There is limited research on the role of enjoyment of exercise among people with arthritis. The aim of the present study was to determine distinct viewpoints on exercise held by people with arthritis, and how enjoyment features in these viewpoints. A Q-methodology study was conducted, which involved two interviews with people with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or ankylosing spondylitis (aged 20-85Ā years). In the first interviews, 11 participants helped to create the Q-set, a set of statements reflecting a range of existing views on exercising. In the second interviews, 12 participants (nine of the 11 from the first interviews and three others) ranked the Q-set on a forced quasi-normal distribution of agreement. A Q-method factor analysis was carried out to determine groupings of participants with similar views on exercise. Four groupings were discovered, and defined in terms of rankings of statements and illustrative quotes from the ranking procedure. The first grouping had a...
Arthritis care & research, Jan 2, 2017
Gout typically responds well to medications but adherence might be improved by education that mee... more Gout typically responds well to medications but adherence might be improved by education that meets individuals' needs in a way that is inclusive of their ethnicity and rurality. The aim of this study was to compare educational preferences of: 1) MÄori and New Zealand European (NZEuropean) individuals with gout; and 2) those living in rural or urban areas. People with gout managed in primary care were recruited from two rural regions and one city within Aotearoa/New Zealand. Focus groups were held with 26 MÄori and 42 NZEuropean participants (44 rural, 24 urban). Participants discussed educational preferences for diet, medication, and ways of communicating. The nominal group technique was employed whereby the group compiled a list of ideas and then participants individually ranked the three most important ideas for each topic. The most frequently prioritized ideas for the three topics were: knowing one's own food triggers, knowing side-effects of medications, and communicati...
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Papers by Gareth Treharne