ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature, government reports and documents, and other extant literature. It discusses a dearth of published literature that reports disaggregated population and health data for Native Hawaiians in general, and Native Hawaiian men specifically, and there is an absence of data for Pacific Islander men. The chapter focuses on Native Hawaiian men and also discusses the impact of contact with Westerners, and the role of colonization and Native Hawaiian agency. It explores competing constructions of gender, gendered assimilation, current health statistics, and promising approaches to improve the health and well-being of Native Hawaiian men. The chapter presents information for Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders together as one group because there is often a lack of disaggregated data. Native Hawaiians, as with most Pacific Islanders, once enjoyed an enviable health status in which they benefited from a lifestyle that often included vigorous daily activity and abundant fresh produce, seafood, and starches.
