Maui Wellness Fest seeks more recruits for wildfire exposure study
COURTESY MAUIWES
Survey results from a question about whether participants felt supported by family or friends in their recovery efforts.
University of Hawaii researchers are holding a free Maui Wildfire Exposure Study Wellness Fest this Saturday to share their findings and recruit more participants.
The Wellness Fest takes place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the UH Maui College Great Lawn, offering free food, music and health consultations.
The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study is a comprehensive study seeking to understand and mitigate the health and social impacts of the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires.
Researchers aim to track and gather data from participants over at least 10 years.
UH MauiWES researchers Ruben Juarez and Alika Maunakea will offer presentations on the ongoing study, which currently has more than 1,200 participants.
The state recently awarded MauiWES with an additional $2.3 million, allowing the study to increase its participant base to 2,000 individuals, with a focus on children and first responders.
The funding will also help researchers build the infrastructure for a comprehensive registry targeting up to 10,000 wildfire survivors.
The research project is the result of an ongoing partnership between the UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO), John A. Burns School of Medicine and UH Maui College.
Attendees are asked to pre-register for the Wellness Fest at www.mauiwes.info.
