Health study of NZ’s Indian community lauched

Health study of New Zealand’s Indian community launched

Massey University researchers are seeking more than 300 south Asian women living in New Zealand to study whether changes in diet and sunshine hours affects their health.

The health and nutrition study run from the Auckland Campus is believed to be the first wide scale observation of the health of this section of New Zealand’s population, which includes women from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The research is led by doctoral student Pamela von Hurst from the University’s Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, who says South Asian women are known to have a higher predisposition to developing health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

“We really don’t know much about the health of Indian people living in New Zealand and the aim of the study is to look at their health status and to investigate diet and lifestyle and certain genetic characteristics of this ethnic group,” Ms von Hurst says.

The latest census shows the Indian population has risen from 60,000 in 2001 to more than 107,000 last year. Ms von Hurst says different factors – including diet and climate – affect the health of this ethnic group when they come to a country like New Zealand.

“Obviously there is going to be a change in diet. In India, diabetes has soared as the middle class has taken on more of the excesses of western lifestyle. The change of diet here is a factor but so too is the climate where there are fewer sunshine hours and it’s harder for their darker skin to make Vitamin D.

“There has been a lot of research interest in vitamin D and its role in a number of diseases. One of the aims of this study is to investigate the influence of vitamin D deficiency in type-two diabetes and to test the effectiveness of vitamin supplements.”

“It is important that we find out if vitamin D supplements work, and what dose is required, before people start taking supplements which may be ineffective.”

The researchers are now calling for participants who must be 20 or older and either been born in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka or have with parents or grandparents born in those countries. They must be willing to undergo blood testing and blood pressure testing.

Two North Shore based Indian doctors are advisers for the study, which is funded by a grant from the Lotteries Commission.

ENDS

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