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33/100

✓ Peer-reviewed alzhub usefulness score 33 out of 100. Clinical safety

Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies

The prevalence of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand is estimated to have been approximately 1.78% in 2020, with the biggest aetiological contributors being stroke, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. These three causes made up 81.5% of all estimated dysphagia cases in 2019. The prevalence rate of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand is projected to rise to 2.54%, reflecting the ageing population. An increased prevalence of dysphagia will result in an increased healthcare burden, both from resources spent on treating dysphagia and complications stemming from undiagnosed and thus untreated dysphagia. Estimating the full extent of this increased burden is hampered by the absence of systematic, extensive and reliable records available relating to cases of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Key findings

The prevalence of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand is estimated to have been approximately 1.78% in 2020, with the biggest aetiological contributors being stroke, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
These three causes made up 81.5% of all estimated dysphagia cases in 2019.
The prevalence rate of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand is projected to rise to 2.54%, reflecting the ageing population.
An increased prevalence of dysphagia will result in an increased healthcare burden, both from resources spent on treating dysphagia and complications stemming from undiagnosed and thus untreated dysphagia.
Estimating the full extent of this increased burden is hampered by the absence of systematic, extensive and reliable records available relating to cases of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Why it matters

This study estimates how common dysphagia is in Aotearoa New Zealand and projects it will rise with an ageing population, with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias among the biggest contributing causes. It is about measuring and planning for swallowing problems, not about treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Study details

Effect size1.78%; 81.5%; 2.54%
Evidence strengthLow

How this study scored 33/100

Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.

Component	Points	Why
Journal tier	7 / 10	Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (New Zealand Medical Journal)
Journal's citation record	0 / 4	New Zealand Medical Journal: journal h-index 14 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29)
Study design	0 / 12	No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Strength of evidence	1 / 5	Rated “low” in our summary
Peer-review validation	10 / 10	Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal.
How recent	4 / 5	2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here
Sample size	0 / 4	Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Effect reported	2 / 3	Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test
Studied in people	0 / 3	Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Randomised / blinded	0 / 2	No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0)
Times cited	1 / 7	Cited 1 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10)
Citations per year	0 / 5	0.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025
Impact for its field and year	2 / 6	Cited 1.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI)
Cited by studies here	0 / 6	No other study in this library cites it
Still being cited	0 / 4	Cited 1 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex)
Senior author's track record	2 / 4	Last-listed author Maggie‐Lee Huckabee: h-index 31 (OpenAlex, whole career)
Institution's track record	0 / 3	University of Canterbury: institution h-index 466 (OpenAlex)
Multi-centre collaboration	0 / 3	OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete)
Indexed in PubMed	2 / 2	Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40014770)
Free to read	2 / 2	Free to read
Total	33 / 100	—

What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →

Read the original

Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).

Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris

Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.

APA 7th

Gunby, P., McSkimming, J., & Huckabee, M. (2025). The historical and projected prevalence of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal. https://doi.org/10.26635/6965.6404

Vancouver

Gunby P, McSkimming J, Huckabee M. The historical and projected prevalence of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal. 2025. doi:10.26635/6965.6404. PMID: 40014770.

BibTeX

@article{gunby2025-40014770,
  author  = {Gunby, Philip and McSkimming, Josh and Huckabee, Maggie‐Lee},
  title   = {{The historical and projected prevalence of dysphagia in Aotearoa New Zealand}},
  journal = {New Zealand Medical Journal},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.26635/6965.6404},
  pmid    = {40014770},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.26635/6965.6404}
}

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