Objective: To develop a lifestyle survey for use with Pacific peoples that has both individual and service provision application.
Methods: The 10 item Prudence Survey was located as a basis of a survey for Pacific peoples which was adapted through multiple iterative consultations with Pacific community leaders and nutrition / physical activity specialists into a 17 item survey of nutrition, physical activity, smoking and alcohol behaviour. The survey has been translated into five Pacific languages. After piloting survey wording was further simplified and food examples and portion sizes adapted to better capture Pacific eating and behaviour patterns. The survey has two components; 1) current behaviour and 2) desire to change current behaviour.
Results: The ‘Healthy Lifestyles survey’ is being used in Pacific church/ community based projects in New Zealand; Waitemata District Health Board’s (DHB) Enua Ola project and Auckland DHB’s Healthy Village Action Zone. 400 people who have completed the survey have been prompted to score and reflect on their lifestyle behaviours at an individual level. Aggregated results are being used by church health committees and service providers to plan lifestyle education sessions in their church / community setting which are targeted to address unhealthy behaviours or knowledge gaps identified by the survey responses. Providers and funders can use aggregated results to track progress towards projects objectives.
Conclusions: This Pacific friendly survey provides an opportunity for Pacific individuals to score their lifestyle behaviours and reflect on areas they want to change. Further the survey provides useful service provision information.