Looking Māori predicts decreased rates of home ownership: Institutional racism in housing based on perceived appearance
Authors: Houkamau CA, Sibley CG
Summary: These researchers used data from a large national postal sample of 561 selfidentified
Māori who completed the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study Time 4 Māori
Focus questionnaire. A statistical model assessed whether reliable differences exist in rates of home ownership within the Māori population, that is, the extent to which some Māori are more likely to own their own home (partially or fully) relative to other Māori. Specifically, the study researchers tested whether Māori who perceive themselves as appearing more stereotypically Māori are less likely to own their own home relative to those who believe they appear less stereotypically Māori. The study’s analyses indicated that self-reported appearance as Māori, or the extent to which people thought they personally displayed features which visibly identified them as Māori to others, significantly predicted decreased rates of home ownership. This association held when adjusting for numerous other possible demographic covariates that might account for the association, such as education, level of deprivation of the immediate area, household income, age, relationship status, region of residence, amongst others. The study researchers conclude that their findings suggest there is, or at least has been in the recent past, institutional racism against Māori in New Zealand’s home lending industry based on merely appearing more Māori.
Reference: PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0118540
Abstract
Long-term effectiveness of a communitybased model of care in Māori and Pacific patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease: A 4-year follow-up of the DElay Future End Stage Nephropathy due to Diabetes (DEFEND) study
Authors: Tan J et al.
Summary: In the DEFEND study, Māori and Pacific patients (aged 47–75 years) with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stage 3/4 chronic kidney disease and proteinuria (>0.5 g/day) were randomised to receive community-based care (n=33) or usual care (n=32) for 12 months. The community-based intervention was associated with lower BP, proteinuria and less end-organ damage than usual care. After the intervention ended, all patients reverted to usual care, and were followed-up thereafter until death, end-stage renal disease (ESRD; estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] ≤10 mL/min/1.73m2)/dialysis or 1 February 2014. The median post-trial follow-up was 49 months and similar in both groups. The median eGFR decline was –3.1 and –5.5 mL/min/year in the intervention and usual care groups, respectively (p=0.11). Similar numbers of deaths, renal and vascular events were observed in both groups. At the end of the 4-year follow-up, the mean number of prescribed antihypertensive medications was similar (3.4 vs 3.3, respectively; p=0.78). The median number of hospital days was 8 with the intervention compared with 15.5 days with usual care (p=0.03).
Reference: Intern Med J. 2015 Apr 14. [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract