$800k to find out if racism makes you sick

The impact of racism on the health of New Zealanders will go under the microscope thanks to an $800,000 research grant.

Using data from the New Zealand Health Survey, Dr James Stanley, Dr Ricci Harris and Dr Donna Cormack from the University of Otago, Wellington, will spend three years working to determine if racism leads to poorer health across all ethnic groups.

‘‘It is important to understand how racism affects health so that we can better intervene to reduce its negative health effects,’’ the researchers said. ‘‘We know that people of Maori, Pacific and Asian ethnicities experience the highest levels of racism.’’

They will recruit people who participated in the 2016/17 survey and reported experiencing racism, compare them with similar people who had not experienced racism, and re-interview them all about their health status two years later.

‘‘We can then determine if people who experienced racism had a different change in health in this period.’’

They pointed out racism affects more areas than just health, ‘‘and it should be addressed and eliminated more broadly’’.

The Government-funded Health Research Council awarded the project $818,257 in its latest funding round.

Harris, of Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Raukawa and Ngai Tahu, has studied the impact of ethnic health inequities on Maori health.

A report Harris co-authored in 2008, The Impact of Racism on Indigenous Health in Australia and Aotearoa, revealed: ‘‘For indigenous peoples, unlike white Australians and Pakeha New Zealanders, racism is a fundamental driver of health.’’

It found those who had experienced racism had poorer access to employment, good housing and higher exposure to toxic substances. This new study will provide insight into impacts on health into the future.

Harris also pointed out the health effects of racial attacks through racially motivated physical assault, along with impacts on mental health – which can also affect the immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems.

Other negative responses to racism include smoking, alcohol and other drug use.

One in three complaints to the Human Right Commission is related to racism, Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy has said.