Mortality and social class in New Zealand. III: male mortality by ethnic group

Abstract

Social class differences in male mortality in New Zealand were investigated separately for Maori, Pacific Island and other New Zealand males aged 15-64. All three groups displayed strong social class mortality gradients but, for each class, the Maori mortality rates were approximately 50% higher than the rates for the "other" category, while the Pacific Islander rates generally occupied an intermediate position. The Maori mortality rates were particularly high for the disease groupings of respiratory diseases, infectious diseases, genito-urinary diseases, endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disorders and diseases of the circulatory system other than coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease--even when the data were adjusted for age and social class factors. The Pacific Islander rates were high for the same disease groupings except for endocrine, nutritional and metabolic disorders. Overall, there were substantial social class differences and ethnic differences in mortality and these were largely independent so that only about one-fifth of the Maori mortality excess was attributable to social class factors. Four-fifths of the Maori excess was not attributable to such factors indicating that interventions aimed specifically at lower socio-economic groups will not eliminate the current mortality differences between Maoris and non-Maoris.