Morbidity from intentional self-harm among Pacific peoples in New Zealand 1996-2015

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Sociology

Background:

• Intentional self-harm (ISH) is a significant public health concern globally.
• Data specific to Pacific peoples in New Zealand regarding ISH trends have been limited.
• Understanding ethnic and demographic variations is crucial for effective health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe trends in intentional self-harm (ISH) among Pacific peoples in New Zealand from 1996 to 2015.
• To identify ethnic-specific patterns and disparities in ISH events within the Pacific population.
• To provide data for developing targeted interventions for diverse Pacific ethnic groups.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of publicly funded hospitalisation data for intentional self-harm events.
• Examination of a 19-year period (1996-2015) of national data.
• Identification and presentation of key areas of interest related to ISH trends.

Main Results:

• A total of 1,608 intentional self-harm events were recorded for Pacific peoples between 1996 and 2015.
• Pacific peoples accounted for 2.8% of all national intentional self-harm events during the study period.
• Significant differences in ISH experiences were observed between various Pacific ethnic groups.

Conclusions:

• This study provides 19 years of previously unavailable ethnic-specific data on intentional self-harm for Pacific peoples in New Zealand.
• Persistent disparities in intentional self-harm exist between Pacific and non-Pacific populations, as well as among different Pacific ethnic groups.
• Findings highlight priority areas for targeted interventions based on ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, and age variations.