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"We Need a System that's Not Designed to Fail Maori": Experiences of Racism Related to Kidney Transplantation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

ABSTRACT: Reported experiences of racism in Aotearoa New Zealand are consistently associated with negative measures of health, self-rated health, life satisfaction, and reduced access to high-quality healthcare with subsequent poor health outcomes. In this paper, we report on perceptions and experiences of prejudice and racism by Indigenous Māori with kidney disease and their family members and donors who took part in a wider study about experiences of kidney transplantation. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 40 Māori between September and December 2020. Participants included those with kidney disease who had considered, were being worked up for, or who had already received a kidney transplant as well as family members and potential or previous donors. We examined the data for experiences of racism using a theoretical framework for racism on three levels: institutionalised racism, personally mediated racism, and internalised racism. We identified subthemes at each level of racism: institutional (excluded and devalued by health system; disease stigmatization; discriminatory body weight criteria, lack of power), personally mediated (experiencing racial profiling; explicit racism), and internalized racism (shame and unworthiness to receive a transplant). The wide-reaching experiences and perceptions of racism described by participants with kidney disease and their families in this research point to an unfair health system and suggest that racism may be contributing to kidney transplantation inequity in Aotearoa New Zealand. Addressing racism at all levels is imperative if we are to address inequitable outcomes for Māori requiring kidney transplantation.

SUBMITTER: Walker RC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8751454 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Summary Background Rangatahi Māori, the Indigenous adolescents of Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), have poorer health outcomes than Pākehā (NZ European /other European/“White”) adolescents. We explored the influence of policies for Indigenous youth by presenting health trends, inequities and contrasting policy case examples: tobacco control and healthcare access. Methods Cross-sectional representative surveys of NZ secondary school students were undertaken in 2001, 2007, 2012 and 2019. Health indicators are presented for Māori and Pākehā adolescents (relative risks with 95% CI, calculated using modified Poisson regression) between 2001–2019 and 2012–2019. Policy examples were examined utilising Critical Te Tiriti Analysis (CTA). Findings Rangatahi Māori reported significant health gains between 2001 and 2019, but an increase in depressive symptoms (13.8% in 2012 to 27.9% in 2019, RR 2.01 [1.65–2.46]). Compared to Pākehā youth there was a pattern of persistent Māori disadvantage, particularly for racism (RR 2.27 [2.08–2.47]), depressive symptoms (RR 1.42 [1.27–1.59]) and forgone healthcare (RR 1.63 [1.45–1.84]). Tobacco use inequities narrowed (RR 2.53 [2.12–3.02] in 2007 to RR 1.55 [1.25–1.93] in 2019). CTA reveals rangatahi Māori-specific policies, Māori leadership, and political support aligned with improved outcomes and narrowing inequities. Interpretation Age-appropriate Indigenous strategies are required to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities for rangatahi Māori. Characteristics of effective strategies include: (1) evidence-based, sustained, and comprehensive approaches including both universal levers and Indigenous youth-specific policies; (2) Indigenous and rangatahi leadership; (3) the political will to address Indigenous youth rights, preferences, priorities; and (4) a commitment to an anti-racist praxis and healthcare Indigenisation. Funding Two Health Research Council of New Zealand Project Grants: (a) Fleming T, Peiris–John R, Crengle S, Parry D. (2018). Integrating survey and intervention research for youth health gains. (HRC ref: 18/473); and (b) Clark TC, Le Grice J, Groot S, Shepherd M, Lewycka S. (2017) Harnessing the spark of life: Maximising whānau contributors to rangatahi wellbeing (HRC ref: 17/315).

Dataset Information

"We Need a System that's Not Designed to Fail Maori": Experiences of Racism Related to Kidney Transplantation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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