Inequities in exposure to occupational risk factors between Maori and non-Maori workers in Aotearoa New Zealand

Background Health inequities between indigenous and non-indigenous people are well documented. However, the contribution of differential exposure to risk factors in the occupational environment remains unclear. This study assessed differences in the prevalence of self-reported exposure to disease risk factors, including dust and chemicals, physical factors and organisational factors, between Maori and non-Maori workers in New Zealand. Methods Potential participants were sampled from the New Zealand electoral rolls and invited to take part in a telephone interview, which included questions about current workplace exposures. Logistic regression, accounting for differences in age, socioeconomic status and occupational distribution between Maori and non-Maori, was used to assess differences in exposures. Results In total, 2344 Maori and 2710 non-Maori participants were included in the analyses. Maori had greater exposure to occupational risk factors than non-Maori. For dust and chemical exposures, the main differences related to Maori working in occupations where these exposures are more common. However, even within the same job, Maori were more likely to be exposed to physical factors such as heavy lifting and loud noise, and organisational factors such as carrying out repetitive tasks and working to tight deadlines compared with non-Maori. Conclusions This is one of the first studies internationally to compare occupational risk factors between indigenous and non-indigenous people. These findings suggest that the contribution of the occupational environment to health inequities between Maori and non-Maori has been underestimated and that work tasks may be unequally distributed according to ethnicity.