Health Inequalities Research Programme

New Zealand Census-Mortality Study

Publications and Presentations

Journal Publications | Reports | Theses | Presentations | Media: Press Releases and Clippings

Journal Publications

Copies of journal articles are shown below for completeness. However for each article the relevant Journal is the original place of publication and we acknowledge each relevant Journal as the copyright owner. Here are the links to the relevant Journals that have websites.

• American Journal of Epidemiology
• Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
• Australian Epidemiologist
• BMC Public Health
• British Medical Journal
• Cancer Causes and Control
• European Journal of Epidemiology
• International Journal for Equity in Health
• International Journal of Epidemiology
• Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health
• The Lancet
• New Zealand Medical Journal
• Social Science and Medicine
• Tobacco Control

The following are downloadable Adobe PDF   files related to the New Zealand Census-Mortality Study.

• Blakely T, Richardson K, Young J, Callister P, Didham R. Does mortality vary between Pacific groups in New Zealand? Estimating Samoan, Cook Island Maori, Tongan, and Niuean mortality rates using hierarchical Bayesian modelling. The New Zealand Medical Journal 2009; 122(1307)
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• Tobias M, Yeh L-C. How much does health care contribute to health gain and to health inequality? Trends in amenable mortality in New Zealand 1981-2004. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2009; 33(1):70-78.

• Jatrana S, Blakely T. Ethnic inequalities in mortality among the elderly in New Zealand. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2008; 32(5):437-443

• Blakely T, Atkinson J, Fawcett J. Ethnic counts on mortality and census data (mostly) agree for 2001-2004: New Zealand Census-Mortality Study update. The New Zealand Medical Journal 2008; 121(1281):58-62.

• Blakely T, Tobias M, Atkinson J. Inequalities in mortality during and after restructuring of the New Zealand economy: repeated cohort studies. British Medical Journal (International Edition) 2008; 336(7640):371.
  See the BMJ webpage for additional tables.

• Callister P, Didham R, Potter D, Blakely T. Measuring Ethnicity in New Zealand: Developing Tools for Health Outcomes Analysis. Ethnicity & Health; 12(4):299-320.
  

• Hill S, Blakely T, Kawachi I, et al. Mortality among Lifelong Nonsmokers Exposed to Secondhand Smoke at Home: Cohort Data and Sensitivity Analyses. Am. J. Epidemiol. 2007; 165(5):530-540.

• Fawcett J, Blakely T. Cancer is overtaking cardiovascular disease as the main driver of socio-economic inequalities in mortality: New Zealand, (1981-99). J Epidemiol Community Health 2007;61(1):59-66.
  

• Wilson N, Blakely T, Tobias M. What potential has tobacco control for reducing health inequalities? The New Zealand situation. International Journal for Equity in Health 2006; 5:14.

• Wilson N, Blakely T, Tobias M. Correction: what potential has tobacco control for reducing health inequalities? The New Zealand situation. International Journal for Equity in Health 2006; 5:16.

• Young J, Graham P, Blakely T. Modeling the relation between socioeconomic status and mortality in a mixture of majority and minority ethnic groups. American Journal of Epidemiology 2006; 164(3): 282-291.
  
  
• Wamala S, Blakely T, Atkinson J. Trends in absolute socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in Sweden and New Zealand: a 20-year gender perspective. BMC Public Health 2006, 6:164.
  
  
• Blakely T, Fawcett J, Hunt D, Wilson N. What is the contribution of smoking and socioeconomic position to ethnic inequalities in mortality in New Zealand? Lancet, 2006; 368(9529):44-53.
  See the associated University of Otago press release here.
  
  
• Shaw C, Blakely T, Sarfati D, Fawcett J, Peace J. Trends in colorectal cancer mortality by ethnicity and socio-economic position in New Zealand, 1981-99: one country, many stories. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2006; 30(1):64-70.

• Sarfati D, Blakely T, Shaw C, Cormack D, Atkinson J. Patterns of disparity: ethnic and socio-economic trends in breast cancer mortality in New Zealand. Cancer Causes and Control June 2006; 17(5).
  
  
• Blakely T, Wilson N. Shifting dollars, saving lives: What might happen to mortality rates, and socio-economic inequalities in mortality rates, if income was redistributed? Social Science and Medicine April 2006, 62(8).
  
  
• Shaw C, Blakely T, Crampton P, Atkinson J. The contribution of causes of death to socioeconomic inequalities in child mortality: New Zealand 1981–1999. NZ Med J 2005; 118(1227).
  
  
• Shaw C, Blakely T, Sarfati D, Fawcett J, Hill S. Varying evolution of the New Zealand lung cancer epidemic by ethnicity and socioeconomic position (1981-1999).NZ Med J 2005;118(1213):U1411.
  
  
• Hunt D, Blakely T, Woodward A, Wilson N. The smoking-mortality association varies over time and by ethnicity in New Zealand. Int J Epidemiol 2005; 34(5):1020-1028.
  
  
• Blakely T, Tobias M, Robson B, Ajwani S, Bonne M, Woodward A. Widening ethnic mortality disparities in New Zealand, 1981-99. Social Science and Medicine 2005; 61(10):2233–2251.
  
  
• Fawcett J, Blakely T, Kunst A. Are Mortality Differences and Trends by Education Any Better or Worse in New Zealand? A Comparison Study with Norway, Denmark and Finland, 1980–1990s. European Journal of Epidemiology 2005; 20(8).
  
  
• Blakely T, Wilson N. The contribution of smoking to inequalities in mortality by education varies over time and by sex: two national cohort studies, 1981–84 and 1996–99. Int J Epidemiol 2005; 34(5):1054–1062.
  
  
• Hill S, Blakely T, Fawcett J, Howden-Chapman P. Could mainstream anti-smoking programmes increase inequalities in tobacco use? New Zealand data from 1981-1996. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Public Health 2005; 29(3). (abstract)
  
  
• Shaw C, Blakely T, Atkinson J, Crampton P. Do social and economic reforms change socioeconomic inequalities in child mortality? A case study: New Zealand 1981-1999. J Epidemiol Community Health 2005; 59(8):638-644.
  
  
• Blakely T, Fawcett J. Bias measuring mortality gradients by occupational class in New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal 2005; 118(1208).
  
  
• Callister P, Blakely T. Ethnic classification, intermarriage, and mortality: some methodological issues in relation to ethnic comparisons in Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Working paper, November 2004.
  
  
• Blakely T, Hunt D, Woodward A. Confounding by socio-economic position remains after adjusting for neighbourhood deprivation. An example using smoking and mortality. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2004; 58:1030–1031.
  
  
• Hill S, Blakely T, Kawachi I, Woodward W. Mortality among "never smokers" living with smokers: Two cohort studies, 1981-4 and 1996-9.British Medical Journal 2004; 328(7446):988-989
  
  
• Woodward A, Hill S, Blakely T. Deaths caused by second-hand smoke: estimates are consistent. Tobacco Control 2004; 13:319–320.
  
  
• Blakely T, Kawachi I, Atkinson J, Fawcett J. Income and mortality: the shape of the association and confounding. New Zealand Census-Mortality Study, 1981-99. International Journal of Epidemiology, 2004; 33:1–10.
  
  
• Blakely T, Ajwani S, Robson B, Tobias M, Bonne M. Decades of Disparity: widening ethnic mortality gaps from 1980 to 1999. NZ Med J 2004; 117(1199).
  
  
• Blakely T, Dew K. Ethnicity, acculturation and health: who's to judge? NZ Med J 2004; 117(1188).   [PDF 29 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Collings S, Atkinson J. Unemployment and suicide. Evidence for a causal association? J Epidemiol Community Health 2003;57:594-600.   [PDF 185 KB]
  See also Commentaries Section in same issue of JECH J Epidemiol Community Health 2003;57:553-561.   [PDF 241 KB]
  
  
• Ajwani S, Blakely T, Robson B, Atkinson J, Kiro C. Unlocking the numerator-denominator bias III: adjustment ratios by ethnicity for 1981-1999 mortality data. The New Zealand Census-Mortality Study. NZ Med J 2003; 116 (1175).   [PDF 142 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Atkinson J, Kiro C, Blaiklock A, D'Souza A. Child mortality, socioeconomic position, and one-parent families: independent associations and variation by age and cause of death. International Journal of Epidemiology 2003; 32:410-418.   [PDF 87 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Atkinson J, O'Dea D. No association of income inequality with adult mortality within New Zealand: a multi-level study of 1.4 million 25-64 year olds. J Epidemiol Community Health 2003;57:279-284.   [PDF 209 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Salmond C. Probabilistic record linkage and a method to calculate the positive predictive value. International Journal of Epidemiology 2002;31:1246-1252.   [PDF 189 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Robson B, Woodward A. Measuring Māori health status accurately - more needs doing. NZ Med J 2002;115;149-150.   [PDF 502 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Robson B, Atkinson J, Sporle A, Kiro C. Unlocking the numerator-denominator bias. I: Adjustment ratios by ethnicity for 1991-94 mortality data. NZ Med J 2002;115:39-43.   [PDF 3,583 KB]
  Unlock I Abstract  [PDF 52 KB]      Unlock I Tables  [PDF 151 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Kiro C, Woodward A. Unlocking the numerator-denominator bias. II: Adjustments to mortality rates by ethnicity and deprivation during 1991-94. NZ Med J 2002;115:43-48.   [PDF 4,483 KB]
  Unlock II Abstract  [PDF 46 KB]      Unlock II Tables  [PDF 267 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Woodward A, Pearce N, Salmond C, Kiro C, Davis P. Socio-economic factors and mortality among 25-64 year olds followed from 1991 to 1994: the New Zealand Census-Mortality Study  NZ Med J 2002;115:93-7.  [PDF 664 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Pearce N. Socio-economic position is more than just NZDep  NZ Med J 2002;115:109-11.  [PDF 664 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Salmond C, Woodward A. Anonymous linkage of New Zealand mortality and census data. Aust NZ J Public Health 2000;24:92-95.   [PDF 3,016 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Woodward A. Counterfactual challenges to social epidemiology. Australasian Epidemiologist 2000;7:28-31.   [PDF 1,779 KB]
  
  
• Howden-Chapman P, Blakely T, Blaiklock A, Kiro C. Closing the health gap. NZ Med J 2000;113:301-302.  [PDF 1,052 KB]
  

Reports

The following are downloadable Adobe PDF   files related to the New Zealand Census-Mortality Study.

• Blakely T, Richardson K, Young J, Graham P, Tobias M, Callister P, Didham R, Atkinson J. (2009.) Does mortality vary between Pacific groups? Estimating Samoan, Cook Island Maori, Tongan and Niuean mortality rates using hierarchical Bayesian modelling. Official Statistics Research Series, 5.

• Blakely T, Tobias M, Atkinson J, Yeh L-C, Huang K. 2007. Tracking Disparity: Trends in ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in mortality, 1981–2004. Wellington: Ministry of Health.

• Fawcett J, Atkinson J, Herd P, Blakely T. Record Linkage of Census and Mortality 2001-04 Records: New Zealand Census-Mortality Technical Report No. 6. Wellington: Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, 2008.
  
  
• Fawcett J, Blakely T, Robson B, Tobias M, Pakipaki N, Harris R. Decades of Disparity III: Ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in mortality, New Zealand 1981-1999. Wellington: Ministry of Health, 2006.
  
  
• Blakely T, Fawcett J, Atkinson J, Tobias M, Cheung J. Decades of Disparity II: Socioeconomic mortality trends in New Zealand, 1981-1999. Wellington: Ministry of Health and University of Otago, 2005.
  
  
• Ajwani S, Blakely T, Robson B, Tobias M, Bonne M. Decades of Disparity: Ethnic mortality trends in New Zealand 1980-1999. Wellington: Ministry of Health and University of Otago, 2003   [PDF 1,252 KB]
  Appendices 2-5 of Ethnic Mortality Trends report  [PDF 697 KB]
  This report jointly authored with the Ministry of Health describes divergent mortality trends by ethnicity from 1980 to 1999.
  
  
• Fawcett J, Blakely T, Atkinson J. Weighting the 81, 86, 91 & 96 Census-Mortality Cohorts to Adjust for Linkage Bias: NZCMS Technical Report No. 5 Wellington: Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, 2002   [PDF 2,322 KB]
  
  
• Ajwani S, Blakely T, Robson B, Atkinson J, Fawcett J, Kiro C. Unlocking the Numerator-Denominator Bias for the 1980s and 1990s: NZCMS Technical Report No. 4 Wellington: Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, 2002   [PDF 654 KB]
  
  
• Hill S, Atkinson J, Blakely T. Anonymous Record Linkage of Census and Mortality Records: 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996 Census Cohorts: NZCMS Technical Report No. 3 Wellington: Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, 2002   [PDF 1,528 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T. The New Zealand Census-Mortality Study : Socioeconomic inequalities and adult mortality 1991-94 Wellington: Ministry of Health, 2002   [PDF 2,003 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Atkinson J. Unlocking the Numerator-Denominator Bias, 1991-94 deaths: NZCMS Technical Report No. 2 Wellington: Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago, 2001   [PDF 115 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Salmond C, Woodward A. Anonymous record linkage of 1991 census records and 1991-94 mortality records: NZCMS Technical Report No. 1 Wellington: Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine, University of Otago, 1999   [PDF 467 KB]
  

Theses

The theses contained on this website are covered under the New Zealand Copyright Act 1994. Material from these theses may be freely reproduced providing the author and the original website address are acknowledged.

• Fawcett, J. Socioeconomic Variation in Mortality in New Zealand 1981-1999: Cross-National and Times Series Comparisons [Doctorate]University of Otago 2005.
  
  
• Shaw, C. Socioeconomic Gradients in Child Mortality : New Zealand 1981-1999 [Masters], University of Otago, 2004.

• D'Souza, A. Childhood Injury Mortality 1991–1994: Modelling the Impact of Eliminating Child Poverty [Masters], University of Otago, 2003.
  
  
• Hunt D. Mortality from smoking in New Zealand - the association between cigarette smoking and mortality from all causes, ischaemic heart disease and stroke in New Zealanders aged 25-74 years, 1981-1984 and 1996-1999. [Masters]. University of Otago, 2003.
  
  
• Hill S. Passive smoking and mortality: exposure to second-hand smoke in the home and mortality amongst 45-77 year old never-smokers in the New Zealand Census-Mortality Study. [Masters]. University of Otago, 2003.

• Blakely T. Socio-Economic Factors and Mortality Among 25-64 Year Olds. The New Zealand Census-Mortality Study. [Doctorate]. University of Otago, 2001.   [PDF 1,445 KB]
  

Presentations

The following is a downloadable Adobe PDF   (version 5) file of the slides used in the Microsoft Powerpoint presentations of Decades of Disparity.

• Tracking Disparity 1981-2004 Tony Blakely, Martin Tobias, June Atkinson, Li-Chia Yeh, Ken Huang

• Decades of Disparity: Ethnic mortality trends in New Zealand 1980-1999 Tony Blakely, Bridget Robson, Martin Tobias, Shilpi Ajwani, Martin Bonne  [PDF 1,186 KB]
  

Media: press releases and clippings

The following are links or downloadable Adobe PDF   (version 5) files of newspaper clippings related to the New Zealand Census-Mortality Study and other related research.

• University of Otago press release 9th June 2006. Making New Zealand smoke-free will reduce ethnic death rate inequalities. Latest Otago University research published in world’s leading medical journal.
  
  
• University of Otago press release 5th December 2005. Smoking shown to increase unequal death rates between rich and poor. Make New Zealand smoke-free, researchers urge.
  
  
• University of Otago press release 20th April 2005. Death rates fell for all income groups during the 1980s and 1990s ... but relative gaps in death rates between rich and poor still widened.
  
  
• University of Otago press release 5th April 2004. Second-hand smoking increases risk of adult death by 15%. New Zealand researchers publish world's largest study on second-hand smoking and mortality.
  
  
• University of Otago Press Release 30th March 2004 Ethnic Gaps in Life Expectancy appear to be closing again Latest statistics suggest that Maori may be benefiting from social, health policies.  [PDF 241 KB]
  
  
• Crampton P, Blakely T, Howden-Chapman P. Health system funding is already 'needs-based' Dominion Post Newspaper, Tuesday March 9th 2004.  [PDF 325 KB]
  
  
• Oram R. The folly behind Don Brash's words Sunday Star Times Newspaper, Sunday March 7th 2004.  [PDF 3,251 KB]
  
  
• University of Otago Press Release 3rd March 2004. Income and Ethnicity Both Critical in Health Funding: Study New research shows Mäori still dying younger - regardless of income levels.
  
  
• Howden-Chapman P, Crampton P, Rochford T, Matheson A, Signal L, Blakely T, Thompson G, Martin J, Robinson J. A need for more Māori and Pacific doctors Dominion Post Newspaper, Thursday March 4th 2004.  [PDF 331 KB]
  
  
• Managh C. Income, race affect death rates Dominion Post Newspaper, Thursday March 4th 2004.  [PDF 534 KB]
  
  
• Blakely T, Robson B. Gaps - who's to blame? Dominion Newspaper, Friday August 1st 2003.  [PDF 399 KB]
  
  
• Birnie L. Suicide linked to being out of work Dominion Newspaper, Monday June 11th 2001, Page 3.  [PDF 571 KB]

Updated 23 November 2009.

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