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Objectives.New Zealand has a unique tool, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi, for addressing health disparities. Indigenous Māori have compromised health status compared to other groups. This paper investigates ways in which public health units (PHUs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) use Te Tiriti o Waitangi in service delivery to Māori. Design.A nationwide telephone survey of primary health providers (n=162) was conducted in 2014-15. Participants were asked about effectiveness and monitoring of their service delivery to Māori. Results.PHUs reported actively working with Māori, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi to reduce health disparities. Direct Māori engagement with development and delivery of programmes was viewed as essential. Strategies included designated PHU staff in positions of responsibility, formal partnerships with Māori, and providing operational and strategic guidance. Some PHUs supported development of cultural competencies. NGO responsiveness to Māori was variable. Some NGOs described prioritising service delivery and programmes for Māori. Others reported the focus of their service was European or other non-Māori ethnicities. Lack of resources or past difficulties engaging with Māori were barriers. Conclusion.Public health has an ethical commitment to reduce health disparities. Advancing Te Tiriti obligations in everyday practice has the potential to address inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to investigate the prevalence of self-reported sleep complaints in New Zealand adults and determine the independent association of sleep complaints with adverse health outcomes. Design: We used 2002/03 New Zealand Health Survey data (n = 12,500 adults, ≥15 years). The prevalence of self-reported sleep complaints was estimated by ethnicity. The relationship between sleep complaints and mental health, physical health and health risk behaviors were investigated using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence of each sleep complaint measure was highest for the indigenous Māori population (23.6% reported ‘any’ sleep complaint; 10.3% reported multiple sleep complaints). Reporting ‘any’ sleep complaint was associated with higher odds of poorer mental health, diagnosed high blood pressure, diagnosed diabetes, diagnosed heart disease, poor/fair self-rated health, obesity, current smoking, and hazardous drinking. Conclusion: The higher prevalence of sleep complaints among Māori and the consistent association with poor health suggests a potential role for suboptimal sleep in ethnic health inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]