Using Music to Explore Needs and Engage With a Culturally Based Marginalised Group: Developing a New Arts-Based Research Methodology

Attendance for regular antenatal care from early in pregnancy is essential for the health and wellbeing of mother and baby. Delayed antenatal care means that any problems may not be identified early enough and hence may become much more serious and have negative health consequences. A regional health service in urban Australia identified that Pasifika women were typically not attending the available antenatal clinics and asked for assistance in using music to address this problem, since music was a culturally appropriate social determinant of health for this population. A collaboratively funded and co-designed consultative approach was developed with both the health service and the cultural community, with additional project advisors and a music therapist/research assistant employed from within the cultural groups. Following ethics approval, three combined focus group/music creation sessions were implemented in order to understand the needs of the women in relation to antenatal care, and to create and record impromptu music for the clinic waiting rooms, consisting of songs and improvisations. Results were recorded and analysed thematically to understand expressed needs, and the recorded music was processed technically for use in the clinic waiting room. After applying a feasibility assessment, this project can serve as an example of a mutually engaged community approach to addressing health needs and as a model for using music in culturally responsive research. This article focuses on the innovative methodology, and broader findings which will be discussed in subsequent publications. This methodological approach is expected to have further applications to other marginalised cultural groups who may be reluctant to engage with delivery and evaluation of health care services.