Self-rated health, health-related behaviours and medical conditions of Maori and non-Maori in advanced age: LiLACS NZ.

AIMS

To establish self-rated health, health-related behaviours and health conditions of Maori and non-Maori in advanced age.

METHOD

LiLACS NZ is a longitudinal study. A total of 421 Maori aged 80-90 years and 516 non-Maori aged 85 years living in the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua district were recruited at baseline (2010). Socioeconomic-demographic characteristics and health-related behaviours were established using interviewer administered questionnaire. Self-rated health was obtained from the SF-12. Medical conditions were established from a combination of self-report, review of general practitioner and hospital discharge records, and analyses of fasting blood samples.

RESULTS

61% Maori and 59% non-Maori rated their health from good to excellent. Eleven percent of Maori and 5% of non-Maori smoked; 23% Maori and 47% non-Maori had alcohol on at least 2 occasions per week. Physical activity was higher in Maori than non-Maori (p=0.035) and the relationship was attenuated when adjusted for age. More Maori (49%) than non-Maori (38%) were at high nutrition risk (p=0.005); and more non-Maori (73%) than Maori (59%) were driving (p<0.01). The three most common health conditions were hypertension (83%), eye diseases (58%) and coronary artery disease (44%). The health profile differed by gender and ethnicity. Overall, participants had a median of five health conditions.

CONCLUSION

Self-rated health is high in this sample considering the number of comorbidities. There are differences in health behaviours and health conditions between genders and by ethnicity in advanced age. The significance of health conditions in men and women, Maori and non-Maori in advanced age will be examined longitudinally.