Pacific peoples three months after injury: a comparison of outcomes between Pacific and non‐Pacific participants in a NZ cohort study

Abstract Objectives: To: describe pre‐injury characteristics of Pacific (n=239) and non‐Pacific (n=2,611) participants and compare their outcomes three months after injury. Methods: Participants were New Zealand residents aged 18–64 years referred to the Accident Compensation Corporation's injury entitlement claims register. Univariate and multivariable analyses compared pre‐injury and injury‐related characteristics of Pacific and non‐Pacific people and assessed the unadjusted and adjusted relative risks for selected outcomes. Results: Of the 2,856 participants, 239 identified at least one Pacific ethnicity. Adjusted relative risks (aRR; 95% confidence intervals) for Pacific peoples, with the non‐Pacific group as the reference, indicate Pacific peoples were: less likely to have no/lesser problems with disability (aRR=0.82; 0.70,0.95); less likely to have no problems with EQ‐5D self‐care (aRR=0.88; 0.80,0.98); less likely not to report EQ‐5D anxiety/depression (aRR=0.84; 0.76,0.93); and less satisfied with social relationships three months after injury (aRR=0.89; 0.83,0.95). Conclusions: Evidence does not suggest Pacific peoples’ likelihood of paid employment differs from non‐Pacific people three months after injury. However, Pacific peoples appear to have an increased likelihood of problems with disability, self‐care, anxiety/depression and social relationships. Implications: This study provides information about a range of previously unknown outcomes following injury for Pacific peoples in New Zealand, and suggests areas of possible focus for health and rehabilitation service providers and policy‐makers interested in improving outcomes for injured Pacific peoples.