Haka helps fight dementia
Complex routines may guard against Alzheimer’s — study
The skill, eye co-ordination and often complex routines seen in kapa haka may help keep dementia at bay. That is the view of researchers contributing to the report LiLACS NZ, or Life and Living in Advanced Age: A cohort study in New Zealand, which aims to determine the predictors of successful ageing and to understand the trajectories of health and wellbeing among Maori and non-Maori.
Just over 900 people, 421 of them Maori and 516 non-Maori, aged 80 to 90, took part in the study, which started in 2010.
Results showed no significant differences in the prevalence of dementia between Maori and nonMaori, despite other lifestyle factors such as education, socio-economic status and access to healthcare.
Researchers felt that might come down to other factors not initially taken into account — such as speaking another language, in this case te reo, and taking part in cultural activities, including kapa haka.
“Other risk factors for dementia, such as cardiovascular disease and smoking, are also higher among Maori,” the report says. “On the other hand, bilingual status is associated with a lower risk of dementia.
“Older Maori have substantial roles involving advanced cognitive activities and, along with kapa haka, cultural activities may provide greater cognitive stimulation and thus preservation of cognition.”
The report was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and produced at the School of Population Health and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at Auckland University.
School of Population Health head Professor Ngaire Kerse said the data looked at who had dementia in the beginning of the study and who de- veloped it over the years.
“We were fully expecting there would be a higher prevalence among Maori because there are other disparities and health outcomes.
“So as we were sitting reflecting on how that would be, it’s possible that certain lifestyle things protect against the development of dementia.
“Being bilingual is one of the strong protectors. So we know that at least half of this group are fully bilingual and most of them speak a lot of te reo.”
She said many of the Maori in the study were leaders in their whanau and kapa haka groups.