Older Maori death rate ‘little improved’

Press, 8 March 1984, Page 23

Older Maori death rate ‘little improved’

PA Dunedin Death rates of Maoris over the age of 35 have improved little compared with other New Zealanders, in spite of dramatic reductions in the death rates for Maori children, according to an article in the “New Zealand Medical Journal.” In the article, Dr A. H. Smith, a senior lecturer, and Mr N. E. Pearce, a biostatistician, of the department of community health at the Wellington Clinical School of Medicine, examine Maori mortality rates compared with that of other New Zealanders aged 15 to 64 from 1974 to 1978.

For males about 20 per cent of the Maori excess in mortality is associated with marked ethnic difference in socio-ecomic status. Of the remaining excess, an estimated 15 per cent was linked with cigarette smoking, 10 per cent with alcohol consumption (excluding accidental cause of death), 5 per cent with obesity, and 17 per cent was due to accidents.

Of the excess Maori deaths that were not related to social class, 36 per cent involved such diseases as rheumatic and hypertensive heart disease, diabetes and tuberculosis. Five times as many Maoris died from these diseases than honMaoris.

Environmental causes for diseases such as diet and housing and access to health services can be changed, and so should receive great-

est emphasis, the authors say.

A large part of the mortality differences between the two groups lies in diseases in which ethnic groups have different susceptibilities. Environmental factors may determine this, or it may be largely genetically determined. More research is needed on these susceptibility differences as well as health

services research to plan and evaluate the best methods for improving health care delivery to Maori people, the article says. Some health services resources could be aimed at specific ethnic groups. Successful changes to the health services require that Maoris are involved at all stages of planning and implementation, according to the authors.