Ethnic factors identified in dementia prevention 09 Jul 2021 14:33 PM More Related Stories Related Podcast More than half of cases of dementia among Māori could be preventable, according to a University of Auckland study. Co-author Etuini Ma’u from the university’s Department of Psychological Medicine says Aotearoa’s surging rates of dementia can be limited by targeting 12 potentially modifiable risk factors that vary across ethnic groups. For Māori and Pacific peoples that’s likely to be hearing loss and lower education levels, while for Europeans it’s social isolation and hearing loss, and for those of Asian ethnicity - physical inactivity.