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October 15, 2015
Health stats show start inequalities persist
Waatea Team
Posted On October 15, 2015
There’s been a significant increase in the number of Maori 15-year-olds in Auckland who have never smoked, and a decrease in the proportion of Maori under 24 who smoke regularly.
That’s one of the few positive takeaways from the latest Maori health profiles for 20 district health board regions released today by the University of Otago’s Eru Pomare Maori Health Research Centre.
Lead researcher Bridget Robson says the profiles are a reminder that stark inequalities in health continue.
She says they will be a useful resource for each district health boards making their health plans and decisions on where to spend their resources.
They include indicators of whanau wellbeing, healthy environments, health service use and health status as well a data about Maori and non-Maori infants, children, rangatahi and adults and by household.
For the Auckland and Counties Manukau DHBs, Maori were more likely to be hospitalised for circulatory system diseases like heart disease and stroke, they were more likely to have cancer than non-Maori, and twice as likely to be admitted to hospital for a mental disorder.
There were also much higher rates of hospitalisation for injury cause by accident or assault, and they were more likely to die from injuries.
One in four children under 15 in Counties Manukau and 13 percent in Auckland are Maori.
LINK TO REPORT; www.otago.ac.nz/MHP2015
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
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