Health data masking cancer differences between Pacific ethnic groups

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-04-11 00:01

New Zealand; Pacific

Image by Алекс Арцибашев via UnSplash

Tongans and Cook Islands Māori have a higher rate of cancer diagnoses than other Pacific people in New Zealand, while Samoans and Niueans have higher rates of gastric cancer, specifically. Authors of new research in the New Zealand Medical Journal say these differences between Pacific ethnic groups are masked in the vast majority of population health research, which groups all Pacific identities together under one label.

Media release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

Health outcomes such as cancer incidence and mortality are usually reported on for Pacific peoples as a single ethnic group. This study accounted for potential diversity in health outcomes among specific Pacific ethnicities, such as Samoan, Tongan and Niuean ethnicities. It showed variation in all-cancer and gastric cancer incidence between these specific ethnicities that would be hidden when examining incidence within the aggregated Pacific group.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: University of Auckland, iNZight Analytics Ltd.

Funder: Health Research Council (HRC) programme grant 17-610 led by Professor Parry Guilford, University of Otago.

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