Cultural issues in research, a reflection.

In New Zealand, Maori have been the subject of research where the objectives, methodology and outcomes have failed to address many issues for Maori including power, equity, and the validity of alternative understandings of health and knowledge. A community-based diabetes intervention in the Waikato was designed as a partnership between Maori, health workers and researchers to demonstrate a significant reduction in diabetes incidence in Maori over 3 years. The priorities and challenges which face Maori and community-based researchers are explored in this paper particularly with reference to being both providers of and participants in research.