Pacific Islander and Maori health data
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Fifteen focus groups with Pacific Islander people in Queensland were conducted by Queensland Health between April and August 2009. Findings indicate that Pacific Islander people have low health literacy, low comprehension of the health system and poor access to services. The need for culturally tailored health resources, translated resources, Pacific health workers and a culturally appropriate mechanism for connecting with and referring Pacific people to the services they require, were themes in these focus groups.
A number of significant health inequities were found for all of the populations studied, using the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection data. Findings are summarised below.
Compared to the Queensland population:
- the Samoan-born population has a mortality rate 1.5 times higher for total deaths and 2 times higher for avoidable deaths, and for hospitalisation rates between 7 times and 2 times higher depending on the condition * the Cook Islands-born population has hospitalisation rates between 9 times and 1.3 times higher depending on the condition
- the Tonga-born population has hospitalisation rates between 2 times and 1.5 times higher depending on condition
- the Fiji-born population has hospitalisation rates 2 times higher for coronary heart disease and for diabetes complications
- the Papua New Guinea-born population has almost 1.5 times higher the ratio for diabetes.
- Health data on the Maori population cannot be obtained from Queensland Health collections, as this population is embedded in the ‘New Zealand’ born category. However, New Zealand data indicates that this population is likely to have a similar disadvantaged health status to the other Pacific Islander populations
Additional mortality and hospitalisation data are available on overseas-born Queenslanders, including those born in Oceania.