Time trends and seasonal patterns of asthma deaths and hospitalisations among Maori and non-Maori.

AIM: To examine the time trends and seasonal patterns in asthma mortality and hospitalisations in Maori and non-Maori. METHODS: We studied asthma deaths in Maori and non-Maori during 1962-1998 and asthma hospitalisations during 1976-1998 in the 5-34 and 35-74 year age-groups. Average monthly mortality and hospital discharge rates were calculated for 1978-1998 to observe the seasonal patterns. RESULTS: The two asthma mortality epidemics of the 1960s and 1970s affected Maori disproportionately, with the peak rates in 1979 being twice that of non-Maori (7.4 vs 3.7 per 100 000) although the rates are now similar. Hospitalisation rates for Maori were consistently higher than non-Maori with the rates remaining elevated until 1987. The most recent hospitalisation figures show a fall of 61.2% from the 1987 rate. For Maori in the 5-34 year age-group, deaths were highest in spring while hospitalisations peaked in the winter month of May. CONCLUSION: Although asthma mortality and hospitalisation rates for Maori have declined over the period under study, Maori continue to experience more severe asthma and have a higher number of hospital admissions for asthma than non-Maori.