In this investigation into the influence of ethnicity on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence in New Zealand, 126 CPAP-naïve patients (19.8% Māori, mean apnoea-hypopnoea index 57.9 events/h, CPAP 11.1 cm H2O) underwent a 4-week supervised home trial of CPAP following pressure titration. After 1 month, objective CPAP adherence was significantly lower among Māori than non-Māori (median 5.11 h/night vs 5.71 h/night; p=0.05). In a multivariate logistic regression model incorporating 5 variables (ethnicity, eligibility for government-subsidised healthcare, individual deprivation scores, income, and education), non-completion of tertiary education, and high individual socioeconomic deprivation remained significant independent predictors of average CPAP adherence not reaching ≥4 h (OR 0.25, p=0.02; OR 0.10, p=0.04, respectively). The overall model explained approximately 23% of the variance in adherence