Moe Kura: a longitudinal study of mother and child sleep and well-being in Aotearoa New Zealand

Moe Kura is a longitudinal study focused on the role of sleep in the health and well-being of mothers and children in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). The leadership, design and conduct of the study is informed by Kaupapa Maori research principles and is positioned within a broader rights-based approach to health, recognising that inequities in health must be identified and understood to improve the health of wahine Maori and tamariki. In late pregnancy 418 Maori women and 768 non-Maori women were recruited and data collected at four waves (35-37 weeks gestation, 4-6 weeks postpartum, 11-13 weeks postpartum and when the Moe Kura child was 3-4 years of age) with linkage to birth records and national administrative datasets and associated qualitative research. Findings demonstrate substantial inequities in sleep health, infant and maternal health, and maternal employment between Maori and non-Maori, along with the important role of sleep in perinatal health and maternal mental health outcomes. The research philosophy that underpins the study, the primary focus on women, and the detailed measurement of sleep during the childbearing years has provided new and important findings that contribute to intervention development and health policy for women and children in NZ.