A Kaupapa Māori meta-synthesis has evaluated the epidemiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in indigenous peoples. Quantitative studies involving Māori, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Métis, First Nations Peoples of Canada, First Nations Peoples of the United States of America, Native Hawaiian and Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan were screened, and 180 studies published up to 31 December 2019 were included. The David R Williams framework was used to categorise findings. Biological processes, particularly type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, were frequently reported as the principal cause of health inequities in indigenous peoples with CKD. Social and basic causes of disparities, including racism, economic and political/legal structures and socioeconomic status, were infrequently reported or absent in the reviewed literature.
