Throughout the twentieth century, Maori life expectancy for both men and women has increased significantly. For most health conditions however, medical statistics show that the Maori mortality rate remains significantly higher than the rate for the NZ non-Maori population.
The results of epidemiological studies show that some of these health conditions may be environmentally induced. There appears to be a high incidence of obesity in the Maori population which has been related to dietary intake, with an associated high incidence of diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. These conditions appear to be particularly prevalent among Maori women.
It is thought that the Maori population are gentically susceptible to obesity; a trait which manifests itself when there is a plentiful food supply in the population.
At present, there is very little information available about the dietary intake of the Maori population, or the effect of diet upon obesity and associated health disorders in this group.
The aim of this survey was to obtain information about the dietary intake of a sample of Dunedin Maori women using the diet history method of assessment. Also to determine the incidence of obesity and other dietry related health conditions in this group.
Chapter 2 reviews the change in food habits and health status of the Maori population over the last two centuries, as well as reviewing the different methods by which information for dietary surveys is obtained.
After setting out the methods and findings of the survey, Chapter 5 discusses the results in light of information obtained from similar dietary studies of NZ women. The samples intake is compared to recommended nutrient allowances for NZ women and the incidence of dietary related health disorders is also discussed.
Overall, Dunedin Maori women�s diet was not deficient in any of the recorded nutrients. Dunedin Maori women, in their middle years, exhibited substantially higher energy intakes than middle years non-Maori women in the 1977 National Dietary Survey. The level of Dunedin Maori women�s carbohydrate intake was the main contributing factor for this higher energy intake. Dunedin Maori women over 50 years of age exhibited substantially higher energy intakes than NZ women aged 50-54 years in the 1985 Timaru Health District Survey, with an overall higher consumption of carbohydrate, protein and fat. Over half of Dunedin Maori were classified as overweight or very overweight. Hypertension and diabetes were reported, and obesity was commonly found among women with these health conditions. Over half of Dunedin Maori women used cigarettes, the majority using between ten and thirty cigarettes per day.
Dunedin Maori women are relatively isolated from the more densely populated areas of North Island Maori. As a result, the survey results cannot be interpreted as characteristic of NZ Maori women in general. The significance of these findings is rather the elucidation of a regional situation. Further studies of Maori women in both rural and urban areas of the North and South Island are necessary to determine if an overall pattern of high intake exists with a deleterious impact upon the health of Maori women.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/217655 |
| Date | January 1988 |
| Creators | Barber, Glenda M, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Otago. Department of Human Nutrition |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | http://policy01.otago.ac.nz/policies/FMPro?-db=policies.fm&-format=viewpolicy.html&-lay=viewpolicy&-sortfield=Title&Type=Academic&-recid=33025&-find), Copyright Glenda M Barber |
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