The association between Maori Cultural Identity & Various Risk Factors: What the Christchurch Health Study Shows

The Christchurch Health and Development Study (CHDS) has been in existence for 35 years. During this time they have followed the health, education and life progress of a group of 1,265 children born in the Christchurch (New Zealand) urban region during mid 1977. This cohort has now been studied from infancy into childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The data gathered over the course of the study now comprises some 50 million characters of information describing the life history of this cohort. The study has published over 400 scientific papers, reports, books and book chapters describing the 30 year life history of the CHDS cohort.

The study has enabled the analysis of data on people of Maori ethnicity. They have written a number of articles that examine the association between Maori cultural identity (which is really ethinicity) and various risk factors.

Here are abstracts of some pieces of research by 

Dannette Marie

Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin
and School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, UK

David M. Fergusson
Joseph M. Boden
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago
Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences

1) Maori Cultural identity and pregnancy/parenthood by age 20: evidence from a New Zealand birth cohort

Ethnic differences in fertility and timing of role transition to parenthood have been the focus of extensive research. The present study examined the associations between ethnic identity and pregnancy/parenthood by age 20 among a longitudinal birth cohort of New Zealanders born in 1977. Those participants of sole Māori identity reported higher rates of both early pregnancy and parenthood than either non-Māori or those of Māori/other ethnic identity. Control for a range of socio-economic and family functioning factors reduced the magnitude of the associations between ethnic identity and pregnancy/parenthood. However, even after controlling for socio-economic and family functioning factors, sole Māori individuals were still at greater risk of pregnancy/parenthood by age 20. Similar results were found for an alternative measure of the extent of Māori identity. It was concluded that higher rates of early pregnancy/parenthood among Māori are associated with factors relating to cultural identity. However, the mechanisms by which cultural identity may be linked to early pregnancy/parenthood are unclear.

http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj37/37-cultural-identity-and-pregnancy-parenthood-by-age-20.html

2) Ethnic identification, social disadvantage, and mental health in adolescence/young adulthood: Results of a 25 year longitudinal study

Objective: To examine the role of cultural identity and social disadvantage/childhood adversity in a 

birth cohort of 984 young people studied to the age of 25. Methods: Date were gathered on mental health, cultural identification, socio-economic factors and childhood adversity as part of a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort (the Christchurch Health and Development Study).

Results: Those with sole Māori identity had rates of disorder that were 1.28 times higher than those of non- Māori; those of Māori/other identity had rates of disorder that were 1.57 times higher than non- Māori. Regression analyses suggested that the elevated rates of mental disorder amongst Māori were largely explained by their higher exposure to socio-economic disadvantage and childhood adversity. However, even after adjustment, being of sole Māori identity was protective factor that reduced rates of mental disorder amongst Māori.

Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that the risk and protective factors associated with the mental health of young Māori involves an interplay between levels of exposure to social disadvantage/childhood adversity and cultural identity, with secure cultural identity being a factor that may mitigate the effects of exposure to adversity

http://www.otago.ac.nz/christchurch/otago014512.pdf

3) The links between ethnic identification, cannabis use and dependence, and life outcomes in a New Zealand birth cohort 

Objective: To examine the role of ethnic identity in cannabis use, and links between ethnic identity, cannabis use and life outcomes, in a birth cohort of over 1000 young people studied to age 25.

Methods: Date were gathered on cultural identification, cannabis use, socio-economic factors, childhood adversity, and a range of life outcomes as part of a longitudinal study of a New Zealand birth cohort (the Christchurch Health and Development Study). 

Results: Those reporting Māori identity had rates of cannabis use and dependence that were significantly (p < .05) higher than rates for non-Māori. Regression analyses suggested that the elevated rates of cannabis use amongst Māori were largely explained by their higher exposure to socio-economic disadvantage and childhood adversity. Further analyses examined the role of cannabis use in the links between ethnicity and a range of life outcomes, including education, income and employment, mental health, criminal offending, and intimate partner violence (IPV). These analyses showed that cannabis use made a small but detectable contribution to rates of Māori disadvantage in life outcomes, with this contribution being most evident in the areas of crime, education, and unemployment.

Conclusions (i) Māori ethnic identification was associated with increased risks of cannabis use and dependence; (ii) the higher rate of cannabis use by Māori could be largely attributed to a combination of socio-economic factors and greater exposure to environmental factors known to influence risk of cannabis use; and (iii) the higher rates of cannabis use by Māori made a small contribution to higher rates of early school leaving, crime, and unemployment amongst Māori.

http://www.otago.ac.nz/christchurch/otago014520.pdf