The relationship between socially-assigned ethnicity, health and experience of racial discrimination for Maori: analysis of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey.
BMC Public Health
; 13: 844, 2013 Sep 13.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24028091
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In New Zealand, there are significant and long-standing inequalities in a range of health outcomes, risk factors and healthcare measures between Maori (indigenous peoples) and Pakeha (European). This study expands our understanding of racism as a determinant of such inequalities to examine the concept of socially-assigned ethnicity (how an individual is classified by others ethnically/racially) and its relationship to health and racism for Maori. There is some evidence internationally that being socially-assigned as the dominant ethnic group (in this case European) offers health advantage.METHODS:
We analysed data from the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey for adult participants who self-identified their ethnicity as Maori (n = 3160). The association between socially-assigned ethnicity and individual experience of racial discrimination, and socially-assigned ethnicity and health (self-rated health, psychological distress [Kessler 10-item scale]) was assessed using logistic and linear regression analyses, respectively.RESULTS:
Maori who were socially-assigned as European-only had significantly lower experience of racial discrimination (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.44, 0.78) than Maori who were socially-assigned as non-European. Being socially-assigned as European-only was also associated with health advantage compared to being socially-assigned non-European more likely to respond with self-rated very good/excellent health (age, sex adjusted OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.74), and lower Kessler 10 scores (age, sex adjusted mean difference = -0.66, 95% C I = -1.22, -0.10). These results were attenuated following adjustment for socioeconomic measures and experience of racial discrimination.CONCLUSIONS:
Results suggest that, in a race conscious society, the way people's ethnicities are viewed by others is associated with tangible health risk or advantage, and this is consistent with an understanding of racism as a health determinant.
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Social Class
/
White People
/
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
/
Health Status Disparities
/
Healthcare Disparities
/
Racism
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
/
Evaluation_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Oceania
Language:
En
Year:
2013
Type:
Article