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Case records of patients discharged from public hospitals in the southern half of New Zealand with connective tissue diseases (CTDs) during the period 1950–1973 were reviewed. Only clinically “definite” and “probable” cases were included. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cases were scored by computer using a modified version of the American Rheumatism Association's preliminary criteria (1971) for SLE diagnosis. Similar scoring systems were developed to classify cases of systemic sclerosis (SD). polyarteritis nodosa (PN), and polymyositis and dermatomyositis combined (PMS/DMS). Although the age-sex structures of these populations were comparable to those reported elsewhere, CTD incidence generally but especially SLE, was low in New Zealand. Probability testing and mapping were employed to define the spatial and temporal distributions of CTDs, as a group and severally, at the time of disease onset. There was a significantly increased morbidity of all CTDs as a group and for scleroderma in particular, in the Otago Hospital Board District. No consistent temporal or rural/urban differences in incidence were found. SLE occurrence was not significantly related to areas with high sunshine hours.

Small scale studies in New Zealand have found a higher incidence of diabetes mellitus in Maoris than in Europeans. In an attempt to determine the morbidity of this disease at a national level the 1971 Census included a question to be answered only by those under treatment for diabetes. This data was used to define the spatial patterns of diabetes morbidity in the total population, and in the Maori and non-Maori races. For the total population the patterns of the sexes were similar with a significantly high incidence area across the northern half of the North Island, where the majority of the Maoris reside. Low morbidity generally prevailed elsewhere. The racial patterns were the reverse of each other especially in the North Island. Districts with an elevated Maori morbidity had a low disease incidence in non-Maoris. The accuracy of this Census data was evaluated by comparison with the findings from previous epidemiological studies of this disease in New Zealand.

Background There are large ethnic differences in cervical cancer survival in New Zealand that are only partly explained by stage at diagnosis. We investigated the association of comorbidity with cervical cancer survival, and whether comorbidity accounted for the previously observed ethnic differences in survival. Methods The study involved 1,594 cervical cancer cases registered during 1994-2005. Comorbidity was measured using hospital events data and was classified using the Elixhauser instrument; effects on survival of individual comorbid conditions from the Elixhauser instrument were also assessed. Cox regression was used to estimate adjusted cervical cancer mortality hazard ratios (HRs). Results Comorbidity during the year before diagnosis was associated with cervical cancer-specific survival: those with an Elixhauser count of ≥3 (compared with a count of zero) had a HR of 2.17 (1.32-3.56). The HR per unit of Elixhauser count was 1.25 (1.11-1.40). However, adjustment for the Elixhauser instrument made no difference to the mortality HRs for Māori and Asian women (compared to 'Other' women), and made only a trivial difference to that for Pacific women. In contrast, concurrent adjustment for 12 individual comorbid conditions from the Elixhauser instrument reduced the Māori HR from 1.56 (1.19-2.05) to 1.44 (1.09-1.89), i.e. a reduction in the excess risk of 21%; and reduced the Pacific HR from 1.95 (1.21-3.13) to 1.62 (0.98-2.68), i.e. a reduction in the excess risk of 35%. Conclusions Comorbidity is associated with cervical cancer-specific survival in New Zealand, but accounts for only a moderate proportion of the ethnic differences in survival.