Delilah Houlton not only lives in New Zealand's longevity capital, Waitemata, she also has at least one centenarian in her family line. Photo / Michael Craig
Babies born today will live past the age of 82, says new research that for the first time details life expectancy by region.
Fancy living a long and prosperous life? West and North Auckland are the places for you.
The research reveals Waitemata has the highest life expectancy in the country, at 85.12 years.
Those born in Canterbury, Capital & Coast and Auckland also have good prospects.
But those in Tairawhiti - covering the Poverty Bay and East Coast provinces - have the lowest life expectancy at 78.
It is the first time life expectancy measured by DHB region has been released after the figures were produced by specialist epidemiologists from Auckland's three DHBs.
The figures will go to the Ministry of Health where they are expected to help shape policy and distribution of the $15-billion Government funding every year.
Dr Peter Sandiford, one of the project leaders and Waitemata DHB clinical director health gain, said life expectancy was determined by factors including income, housing and deprivation.
Lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, physical activity and diet also played an important role.
"Waitemata's high life expectancy is likely to be a reflection of the lifestyles of its population," he told the Herald on Sunday. "Effective health services also increase life expectancy, particularly if there is good access and use of them."
The new figures were not comparable to previous estimates, which had different measures. The project would be ongoing and the results given to the Ministry of Health as part of each DHBs annual plan, as "a broad measure of how things are going" and where improvements could be made, Sandiford said.
The figures are heartening for the mother of Delilah Houlton, who was born at home in Devonport, Waitemata, 10 months ago.
"It's pretty good news - I think 85 would do me nicely," said Justina Lardner-Burke. "Maybe it's the fresh sea air, the great lifestyle, the good hospitals. Who knows?"
As well as living in New Zealand's longevity capital, Delilah has genes that could see her living well into the next century - her great-great aunt recently died in her home in South Africa, aged 101.
Tairawhiti DHB chief executive Jim Green said his region's low life expectancy was a result of its socio-economic profile.
"We have comparatively high rates of smoking and obesity, which is also related to the socio-economic profile," he said.
"Our people live a distance from services and that has an effect. Historically there has been poorer access to drugs like statins and cancer treatment, although that has now changed." A large number of Maori also lived in Tairawhiti, who had lower life expectancy.
Raising the average age of death for the region was a priority.
"The test is whether the life expectancy is improving. That is the case across New Zealand and in Tairawhiti as well," Green said. "But it's not happening fast enough for our liking.
"The most important factor around improving life expectancy is having full employment and eliminating poverty. If you have disposable income you are able to eat healthier, exercise more and make more decisions around your health and well-being."
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