Is there systemic bias for Māori with eating disorders? A need for greater awareness in the healthcare system.

The New Zealand Mental Health Survey, Te Rau Hinengaro, indicated that eating disorders are at least as common in Māori as non-Māori, which is consistent with international findings that eating disorders exist in other indigenous and ethnic minority groups. Specific factors may be relevant to the development and treatment of eating disorders in the Māori population. We suggest this may include differential exposure to risk factors, the impact of acculturation, changing body image ideals and systemic bias reducing access to treatment and research participation. However, an absence of high-quality research regarding eating disorders in Māori makes it difficult to be certain about this. We suspect that Māori do not receive treatment in specialist eating disorders services at a level commensurate with comparable prevalence data in New Zealand and that a significant contributory factor to the apparent unmet need for Māori with eating disorders is likely to be systemic bias. Urgent attention to this area of research is required.