The authors discuss disparities in health for Mäori in relation to measures of socioeconomic deprivation. They identify 3 specific areas of importance with regard to disparities. The first is a ‘distribution gap’. This relates to the skewed geographic distribution of Mäori toward more deprived areas: 56% live in areas ranked in the 3 lowest deciles. There is also an ‘outcome gap’, which relates to differences in outcome which are still observed once deprivation is controlled for. The third area is a ‘gradient gap’. This is described as the relationship between ethnicity and increasing deprivation. It appears that increasing deprivation compounds risk for Mäori but not for Pakeha. The authors suggest that the design and provision of healthcare services should be informed by both a disparities focus, and a development focus.
