06.02.04. Is the prevalence of dementia more pronounced in any specific geographical areas? | New Zealand

06.02.04. Is the prevalence of dementia more pronounced in any specific geographical areas? | New Zealand

17 Sep 2022

There is no available data on the geographical spread of dementia in NZ. However, given the relationship between the risk factors for dementia and the social determinants of health, there is a possibility that the prevalence of dementia is higher in areas with greater deprivation. These risk factors also disproportionately affect Māori and Pacific people so in the regions where they comprise, a greater proportion of the population may also have an increased prevalence of dementia. For example, South Auckland is the most ethnically diverse region of NZ, with 38% of the population identifying as European or other, 24% as Asian, 21% as Pacific, and 16% as Māori (Counties Manukau District Health Board, 2015).

References:

Counties Manukau District Health Board. (2015). Counties Manukau Health. Population profile. CMDHB 2015.