entire issue - The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners

ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC PAPERS
quantitative research
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to acknowledge
Dr Lianne Parkin, and
Professor Phillip Hill for
peer review comments,
and Shiva Nair (medical
student) who was
involved in the initial
aspects of the research.
FUNDING
This study was supported
by funds from the Ministry
of Health, Dunedin Office.
COMPETING INTERESTS
None declared.
vascular diseases, diabetes, gout, skin infections
and their associated complications—were all
considerably more common discharge diagnoses
compared with the total population in this
analysis. These disorders are already the focus of
attention, and it is important for primary health
care professionals to continue working collaboratively
with Pacific communities to improve
health in these areas.
Other causes of excess morbidity in Pacific peoples
are less widely known, or are identified here
for the first time. These are cardiomyopathy, SLE,
hyperemesis gravidarum, gastric ulcer, candidiasis
and pterygium. The clinical implications
are that improved knowledge amongst general
practitioners of the excess risk of these conditions
in Pacific peoples will lead to earlier diagnosis,
treatment and improved outcomes. Further research
is required to establish the cause of excess
hyperemesis gravidarum in the Pacific population
and the potential for treatment.
Although a main focus on the broader socioeconomic
determinants of health is appropriate in
order to improve the health of Pacific peoples, it
is important also to attend to specific causes of
morbidity where effective interventions are available,
and where further research may identify
preventive or curative interventions.
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110 VOLUME 2 • NUMBER 2 • JUNE 2010 J OURNAL OF PRIMARY HEALTH CARE