Maintaining balance for a long voyage.

This article introduces cultural aspects of health, using Hokule'a, the voyaging canoe, as a model for maintaining balance on a long voyage through life. Maintaining balance encompasses physical, nutritional and mental health. This triangle is crucial for the well-being of a person.

Characteristics of Marshallese with Type 2 Diabetes on Oahu: A Pilot Study to Implement a Community-Based Diabetic Health Improvement Project.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility of a resident physician-based, culturally appropriate method of decreasing the disease burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM2) in a group of Pacific Islanders, Marshallese living in Hawai'i. METHODS: Thirty one Marshallese with diabetes who live on the island of Oahu, Hawaii were recruited. Baseline health status of the participants was characterized.

Cancer in Kosrae State, Federated States of Micronesia.

Little is known about the impact of cancer and the extent of cancer-related services in Kosrae. The purpose of this study, funded by the National Cancer Institute, was to document the state of cancer awareness and services in Kosrae and to begin to identify cancer-care needs. Findings suggest that cancer is the eighth-leading cause of death in Kosrae, although a number of factors contribute to a possible undercount of cancer cases.