New Zealand Census Mortality Study (NZCMS)
The New Zealand Census-Mortality Study (NZCMS) is part of the Health Inequalities Research Programme, established July 2005.
Overview of NZCMS
The study mainly aims to measure mortality differences by ethnicity and socio-economic status in New Zealand. In order to do this, we have been working with Statistics New Zealand to anonymously and probabilistically link census records and mortality records, thereby creating cohort studies. This linkage has been achieved for all five censuses (1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, and 2001) followed for mortality for three years.
Analyses have been conducted on these cohorts to:
- Compare the strength of the relationship of ethnicity, socio-economic factors, and other social factors, with mortality across time - the cohort studies a traverse period of major macro-economic and social change in New Zealand.
- Investigate possible contextual effects for variables such as neighbourhood deprivation and income inequality on mortality.
- Investigate the extent to which smoking acts as an intermediate variable in the relation between social factors and mortality.
- Investigate possible contextual effects for variables such as neighbourhood deprivation and income inequality on mortality.
- Examine discrepancies in the coding of ethnic group between census and mortality data (the so-called numerator denominator bias).
Presentations on trends in ethnic inequalities in mortality in New Zealand: Watch the video footage of Professor Blakely making a presentation to Pharmac on mortality trends by ethnicity in New Zealand, and possible explanations.
New Zealand Census-Mortality Study WebTable - This WebTable (funded by the Ministry of Health) makes available to policy and research communities a large range of results from the NZCMS on differences in mortality by age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors.
Our People
Many researchers have been and continue to be involved in NZCMS analyses and publications (see Publications and Presentations). Below lists the three lead investigators.
University of Otago, Wellington:
- Professor Tony Blakey (Principal Investigator)
- June Atkinson (co-Principal Investigator)
Team members external to the University:
- Dr Martin Tobias (Ministry of Health)
Funder
The New Zealand Census-Mortality Study originally received funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. It is now principally funded by the Ministry of Health.
Links
New Zealand Ministry of Health
- Online Publications
- Our Health, Our Future - The Health of New Zealanders 1999
- Social Inequalities in Health - New Zealand 1999
- The New Zealand Census-Mortality Study : Socioeconomic inequalities and adult mortality 1991-94
Family and Whanau Wellbeing, University of Otago, Christchurch
Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington
Harvard Center for Society and Health
New Zealand Census-Mortality Study WebTable - This WebTable (funded by the Ministry of Health) makes available to policy and research communities a large range of results from the NZCMS on differences in mortality by age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors.