Most swine flu sufferers admitted to Hutt Hospital in Lower Hutt last winter were from the Maori and Pacific Island communities, and the median age was 31, a study has found.
The study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, also says Hutt Valley was the first area in the country to report the community spread of swine flu.
From mid-June to late July last year, 54 adult sufferers were admitted to Hutt Hospital.
Three-quarters were female, mainly Maori and Pacific Islanders, and often had other health issues such as asthma, obesity and diabetes. Almost 40% were smokers.
One of the study's authors, consultant physician Stephen Dee, says Pacific patients had six times the admission rate expected based on the population size, and Maori patients two and a half times the rate.
Dr Dee says while regular flu tends to hit the elderly hardest, the median age of those admitted to hospital with swine flu was 31.
