Learning Objectives: Appreciation of social factors is important as delivering health care within ethnic groups is generally more effective.

Introduction: A preliminary study that attempts to separate the effects of ethnicity from deprivation using the surgical intervention rates for some otological conditions, particularly cholesteatoma. Indigenous populations have a greater incidence of chronic ear conditions, however it is difficult to separate deprivation and ethnicity as factors. New Zealand's official bicultural society gives an opportunity to study this. An identification of either ethnicity or deprivation as a major factor is important as it enables more effective targeting of health resources.

Methods: Surgical intervention data from the six Central North Island District District Health Boards (DHB) was examined for the interventions of myringotomy with or without grommets; myringoplasty; cholesteatoma related surgery, also the patient demographic profile, including ethnicity and addresses. NZDep2013 is a deprivation index of 1–10 (1-least deprived), assigned to small local areas. Cross tabulation of the data enables preliminary analysis of four ethnic groups and 10 levels of deprivation within the three surgical interventions.

Results: Preliminary data extract: Myringotomy/grommet interventions increase substantially with deprivation score (9.2 to 17.7 per 1000 population; decile 1–10 respectively) although Maori have more than double the intervention rate per deprivation decile. Maori and Pacific Islanders have similar cholestatoma intervention rates (12–16 per 10,000) which is again more than double that of New Zealand Europeans. This pattern is consistent across the parameters described.

Conclusions: Consistent results have been obtained suggesting that ethnicity and deprivation are separate factors that increase the surgical intervention rates for grommet insertion, myringoplasty and cholesteatoma surgery.