Lay summary
The health and wellbeing of our kaumātua/pākeke is under threat. Māori have a higher prevalence of risk factors for mate wareware and therefore are more likely to suffer from this disease. Prevalence data from other Indigenous populations plus data from few small studies conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand, supports this assertion. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that Māori may be considerably younger than non-Māori when they are diagnosed. Central to understanding the impact of mate wareware on whānau is knowing the extent to which it exists in the population. A prevalence study of mate wareware in Māori has never been conducted. This study will obtain data about the extent of mate wareware, the extent and costs associated with kaitiakitanga, the financial impact on whānau and the oranga of the whānau. This study will align with a concurrent prevalence study with Pākehā and Chinese in Aotearoa New Zealand.