Prevalence of Dementia in European, Chinese and Indian/Fijian-Indian Populations in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Protocol

Objectives

Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) is a bicultural nation (Māori and European) with a growing population of Asian and Pacific peoples. Recent analysis of national routinely collected data suggests dementia prevalence is higher in Māori and Pacific peoples when compared with European and Asian, and that inequities in dementia care for Māori, Asian, and Pacific people with dementia exist. A population-based dementia prevalence study is needed to confirm these findings. The aim of this protocol is to describe a dementia prevalence study focussing on the European, Chinese and Indian populations in NZ. The findings will be compared to a separate study on Māori populations using a similar study design.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional screen-interview survey of people aged ≥ 65 from European, Chinese and Indian/Fijian-Indian backgrounds in sampled meshblocks within two regions of NZ. Stage 1 involves screening eligible participants at the door using the brief cognitive scale of the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia (CSI-D). Stage 2 involves interviewing random samples of screen positive and negative participants using the 10/66 dementia protocol. With a margin of error of approximately 3%, and a confidence level of 5%, a total of 485 European, 410 Chinese and 425 Indian/Fijian-Indian people will be interviewed with the 10/66 protocol. Age-standardised prevalence estimates of 10/66 dementia will be back-weighted for study design.

Conclusion

This study will provide evidence for suspected ethnic inequalities in dementia, inform new culturally appropriate dementia management strategies, and contribute to improved outcomes for people with dementia in NZ.