Deprivation trends in potentially avoidable medical hospitalisations of under-25-year-old Maori and non-Maori non-Pacific in Aotearoa New Zealand: a 20-year perspective

Unnecessary hospitalisations for preventable or treatable conditions provides an indication of the health of a country and its systems. We present data on potentially avoidable hospitalisations of Maori and non-Maori non-Pacific (NMNP) under-25-year-olds for medical conditions during the period 2000-2019, with particular focus on the magnitude of inequity by area deprivation. Potentially avoidable hospitalisation rates of under-25 years for medical conditions were consistently higher for Maori than for NMNP over the 20-year study period. The absolute difference in potentially avoidable hospitalisation rates between the most and least deprived areas were greater for Maori than for NMNP in all years of the study. Respiratory conditions and skin infections accounted for more than 60% of potentially avoidable hospitalisations of Maori under-25-year-olds. The persistent trends in deprivation-based inequities in health outcomes for Maori, on both absolute and relative scales, suggest greater attention needs to be paid to implementing effective policy focussed on reducing these deprivation-based inequities and on improving access to and quality of care.

Automated summary

Unnecessary hospitalisations for preventable or treatable conditions reflect the health status of a country and its systems. A study on Maori and non-Maori non-Pacific (NMNP) under-25-year-olds from 2000 to 2019 showed that Maori consistently had higher potentially avoidable hospitalisation rates compared to NMNP. The disparity in hospitalisation rates between the most and least deprived areas was greater for Maori than for NMNP. Respiratory conditions and skin infections accounted for a significant proportion of the potentially avoidable hospitalisations among Maori. The study suggests the need for effective policies to reduce deprivation-based inequities and improve access to and quality of care.