Rate My Professor Keresi Bako

Keresi Rokorua Bako is a PhD candidate in the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington, and a member of the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit. She holds a lecturer position in Public Health at the Fiji National University. Her research specializes in diabetes self-management practices among I-Taukei Fijians, utilizing the innovative Diabetes Cam wearable camera methodology to capture objective data on daily activities related to medication adherence, footcare, dietary choices, physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, and healthcare access. This approach involves participants wearing an Autographer camera for four days, taking photos every seven seconds, followed by photo-elicitation interviews to explore barriers such as affordability, transportation challenges, and cultural influences, as well as coping strategies.

Bako's PhD thesis, "It's A Very Tough Life for Me: Diabetes self-management amongst I-Taukei in Fiji," is scheduled for completion in 2026. Her key publications include "Diabetes Cam: An Objective Methodology to Study Diabetes Self-Management" (2023), "'Diabetes Makes You Lose Your Leg': Footcare Self-Management Amongst I-Taukei Fijians—A Wearable Camera Study" (2025), "What Food Do I-Taukei Fijians with Diabetes Consume and Why? A mixed methods study using wearable cameras" (2025), "Identifying Factors Which Enhance the Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review with Thematic Analysis" (2022), "Determinants and level of knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) towards physical activity among health care professionals in Fiji" (2025), and "Non-Adherence to Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment and its Associated Factors among TB Patients at Tamavua Twomey Hospital, Suva" (2025). She has also published on physical activity knowledge, attitudes, and practices among healthcare professionals in Fiji (2021, 2019). Funded by the University of Otago Pacific PhD Scholarship and Doctoral Scholarship (ID 3153547), her work has received 17 citations and contributed to Pacific health research symposia.