Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Populations in Genomic Research

Overview

Journal NPJ Genom Med

Specialty Genetics

Date 2024 Sep 30

PMID 39349931

Authors

Edra K Ha

Daniel Shriner

Shawneequa L Callier

Lorinda Riley

Adebowale A Adeyemo

Charles N Rotimi

Amy R Bentley

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The role of genomic research and medicine in improving health continues to grow significantly, highlighting the need for increased equitable inclusion of diverse populations in genomics. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities are often missing from these efforts to ensure that the benefits of genomics are accessible to all individuals. In this article, we analyze the qualities of NHPI populations relevant to their inclusion in genomic research and investigate their current representation using data from the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) catalog. A discussion of the barriers NHPI experience regarding participating in research and recommendations to improve NHPI representation in genomic research are also included.

Citing Articles

The Biorepository and Integrative Genomics resource for inclusive genomics: insights from a diverse pediatric and admixed cohort.

Buonaiuto S, Marsico F, Mohammed A, Chinthala L, Amos-Abanyie E, Amos Abanyie E medRxiv. 2025; .

PMID: 39802793 PMC: 11722445. DOI: 10.1101/2025.01.03.25319944.

References

Kaholokula J, Samoa R, Miyamoto R, Palafox N, Daniels S . COVID-19 Special Column: COVID-19 Hits Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Communities the Hardest. Hawaii J Health Soc Welf. 2020; 79(5):144-146. PMC: 7226312. View

Ioannidis A, Blanco-Portillo J, Sandoval K, Hagelberg E, Barberena-Jonas C, Hill A . Paths and timings of the peopling of Polynesia inferred from genomic networks. Nature. 2021; 597(7877):522-526. PMC: 9710236. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03902-8. View

Pugach I, Hubner A, Hung H, Meyer M, Carson M, Stoneking M . Ancient DNA from Guam and the peopling of the Pacific. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021; 118(1). PMC: 7817125. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022112118. View

Wolf S, Ossorio P, Berry S, Greely H, McGuire A, Penny M . Integrating Rules for Genomic Research, Clinical Care, Public Health Screening and DTC Testing: Creating Translational Law for Translational Genomics. J Law Med Ethics. 2020; 48(1):69-86. PMC: 7447150. DOI: 10.1177/1073110520916996. View

Matimba A, Ali S, Littler K, Madden E, Marshall P, McCurdy S . Guideline for feedback of individual genetic research findings for genomics research in Africa. BMJ Glob Health. 2022; 7(1). PMC: 8753388. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-007184. View

Fujita R, Braun K, Hughes C . The traditional Hawaiian diet: a review of the literature. Pac Health Dialog. 2005; 11(2):250-9. View

Kraft S, Cho M, Gillespie K, Halley M, Varsava N, Ormond K . Beyond Consent: Building Trusting Relationships With Diverse Populations in Precision Medicine Research. Am J Bioeth. 2018; 18(4):3-20. PMC: 6173191. DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2018.1431322. View

Goering S, Holland S, Fryer-Edwards K . Transforming genetic research practices with marginalized communities: a case for responsive justice. Hastings Cent Rep. 2008; 38(2):43-53. DOI: 10.1353/hcr.2008.0027. View

oan L, Takata Y, Sakuma K, Irvin V . Trends in Clinical Research Including Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Participants Funded by the US National Institutes of Health, 1992 to 2018. JAMA Netw Open. 2019; 2(7):e197432. PMC: 6659145. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.7432. View

10.

Speakman J . The evolution of body fatness: trading off disease and predation risk. J Exp Biol. 2018; 221(Pt Suppl 1). DOI: 10.1242/jeb.167254. View

11.

Sasa S, Yellow Horse A . Just data representation for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders: A critical review of systemic Indigenous erasure in census and recommendations for psychologists. Am J Community Psychol. 2021; 69(3-4):343-354. DOI: 10.1002/ajcp.12569. View

12.

Abella M, Molina M, Nikolic-Hughes I, Hughes E, Ruderman M . Background gamma radiation and soil activity measurements in the northern Marshall Islands. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019; 116(31):15425-15434. PMC: 6681725. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903421116. View

13.

Chen F, Park S, Wilkens L, Wan P, Hart S, Hu C . Genetic Risk of Second Primary Cancer in Breast Cancer Survivors: The Multiethnic Cohort Study. Cancer Res. 2022; 82(18):3201-3208. PMC: 9481694. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-4461. View

14.

Atutornu J, Milne R, Costa A, Patch C, Middleton A . Towards equitable and trustworthy genomics research. EBioMedicine. 2022; 76:103879. PMC: 8850759. DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103879. View

15.

Taylor S . The Vulnerability of Health Infrastructure to the Impacts of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise in Small Island Countries in the South Pacific. Health Serv Insights. 2021; 14:11786329211020857. PMC: 8186115. DOI: 10.1177/11786329211020857. View

16.

Myles S, Lea R, Ohashi J, Chambers G, Weiss J, Hardouin E . Testing the thrifty gene hypothesis: the Gly482Ser variant in PPARGC1A is associated with BMI in Tongans. BMC Med Genet. 2011; 12:10. PMC: 3025936. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2350-12-10. View

17.

Horwood P, Tarantola A, Goarant C, Matsui M, Klement E, Umezaki M . Health Challenges of the Pacific Region: Insights From History, Geography, Social Determinants, Genetics, and the Microbiome. Front Immunol. 2019; 10:2184. PMC: 6753857. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02184. View

18.

Krogstad D, Diop S, Diallo A, Mzayek F, Keating J, Koita O . Informed consent in international research: the rationale for different approaches. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2010; 83(4):743-7. PMC: 2946735. DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2010.10-0014. View

19.

Morales J, Welter D, Bowler E, Cerezo M, Harris L, McMahon A . A standardized framework for representation of ancestry data in genomics studies, with application to the NHGRI-EBI GWAS Catalog. Genome Biol. 2018; 19(1):21. PMC: 5815218. DOI: 10.1186/s13059-018-1396-2. View

20.

Bedeker A, Nichols M, Allie T, Tamuhla T, van Heusden P, Olorunsogbon O . A framework for the promotion of ethical benefit sharing in health research. BMJ Glob Health. 2022; 7(2). PMC: 8845198. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008096. View