Te Ohonga Ake The Health of Māori Children and Young People with Chronic Conditions and Disabilities in New Zealand

Abstract

This report on the health of Māori children and young people with chronic conditions and disabilities is divided into two main parts. Part 1: Children and Young People with Chronic Conditions and Disabilities aims to: 1. Review the secondary health service utilisation patterns of Māori children and young people with chronic conditions and disabilities, using hospital admission data. 2. Review the distribution of, and risk factors for, overweight and obesity in Māori children using available national survey data. 3. Explore the prevalence of congenital anomalies evident at birth in Māori babies, and consider in more detail, those anomalies which are likely to lead to long term disability. Part 2: The New Zealand Children’s Social Health Monitor then considers how Māori children are faring during the current economic downturn.

The structure of this report is based on an Indicator Framework developed by the New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service. Part 1 begins with a Viewpoint by Dr Jo Baxter, which reflects on the implications of the report’s findings as they relate to Māori children and young people with chronic conditions and disabilities. Four sub-sections then consider specific child and youth health issues in more detail, with information being presented in the following order: • Chronic Medical Conditions • Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity • Conditions Which May be Detected by Antenatal and Neonatal Screening • Other Disabilities

In Part 2, data on each of the indicators in the New Zealand Children’s Health Monitor is presented, with a view to reviewing how Māori children are faring in the current economic climate.