Abstract: Objective: To investigate whether children in sole-parent families in New Zealand bear excess risks of poor mental and physical health relative to children in two parent families.Data sources and statistical methods: The data source was the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey, a nationally representative household survey that sampled 502 children (5-14 years) of sole mothers and 1,281 children of partnered mothers.Results: Children of sole mothers were 1.26 (0.94 – 2.69) times as likely as children of partnered mothers to return a low PhS score. Adjusting for maternal health and family socio-economic disadvantage eliminated this weak association (which in any case was of borderline statistical significance).Children of sole mothers were more than twice as likely as children of partnered mothers to return a low PsS score, adjusting for demographic variables only.Conclusions: There is only a weak negative association (if any) between sole-parenting and child physical health, but a stronger association with child mental health – consistent with most of the New Zealand and international literature. The association with child mental health is largely (but possibly not completely) ‘explained’ by the poorer mental health of sole-parents and the poorer socio-economic circumstances of single-parent families (on average).Implications: These findings support policies aiming to improve access of sole-parents and their children to community mental health services, and (more especially) policies aiming to ameliorate the disadvantaged economic circumstances of single parent families.

Abstract: Excerpt taken from the Introduction: "This research project was developed in response to the Request for Proposals from Te Puni Kokiri for three literature review documents related to policy development for the Maori Potential Framework. As noted in the Request for Proposals (RFP), Te Puni Kokiri wishes “to build its information data-bases related to whanau development, to Maori reaching their potential and to Maori succeeding as Maori, and is requesting the submission of proposals to undertake research”. The projects are to contribute to the development of a database that will provide Te Puni Kokiri with “baseline data on enhancing whanau well-being, on whanau leadership and engagement, and on innovation and enterprise which facilitate whanau development and the realisation of Maori potential, both to inform policy advice and to contribute to the outcome of Maori succeeding as Maori.”

Abstract: 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.