A retrospective cohort study of community-dwelling older individuals who had an interRAI Home Care assessment in 2017 has reported important differences in disease prevalence and mortality between ethnic groups. A total of 31,704 individuals were included in the study and 59.9% were female. Mean age was 82.3 years. By the end of follow-up (median duration 1.1 years), 49.5% of participants had died. Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 62% in Māori and Pasifika individuals compared with 57% in non-Māori/non-Pasifika individuals. Diabetes was the next most prevalent condition amongst Māori and Pasifika, as was coronary heart disease in non-Māori/non-Pasifika. Cancer had the highest mortality risk in all ethnic groups but risk decreased with age, in contrast to other chronic conditions. While stroke had the highest risk of 1-year mortality amongst older non-Māori/non-Pasifika individuals, in Māori this was coronary heart disease and in Pasifika it was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
