Ajrouch Kristine J, Zahodne Laura B, Antonucci Toni C
Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology, Eastern Michigan University.
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
Innov Aging. 2018 Feb 21;1(3):igx034. doi: 10.1093/geroni/igx034. eCollection 2017 Nov.
This article highlights the dearth of and need for research on Arab American cognitive aging. We propose that studying cognitive health issues among older Arab Americans provides an innovative opportunity to advance knowledge about causes and consequences of Alzheimer's disease (AD) disparities and refine understanding of factors linked to immigrant health in the United States.
Demographic information is provided on Arab Americans, who are on the cusp of being recognized by the U.S. government as a distinct ethnic group separate from whites. In the tradition of minority aging, we present a broad review of specific issues in the contemporary case of Arab Americans.
We detail how including Arab Americans provides unique information on the importance of: (i) extending racial/ethnic group comparisons; (ii) linking social experiences to late-life cognitive health; and (iii) incorporating ethnic factors related to immigration and religion in the study of AD disparities.
Studying Arab American cognitive aging provides an innovative opportunity to more fully delineate factors that create and sustain health disparities, with special insights into both causes and consequences.
本文强调了对阿拉伯裔美国人认知衰老研究的匮乏及需求。我们认为，研究老年阿拉伯裔美国人的认知健康问题为推进有关阿尔茨海默病（AD）差异的成因及后果的知识，以及深化对与美国移民健康相关因素的理解提供了一个创新契机。
提供了关于阿拉伯裔美国人的人口统计学信息，他们即将被美国政府认定为一个与白人不同的独特种族群体。按照少数族裔老龄化的传统，我们对当代阿拉伯裔美国人案例中的具体问题进行了广泛综述。
我们详细阐述了纳入阿拉伯裔美国人如何就以下方面的重要性提供独特信息：（i）扩展种族/族裔群体比较；（ii）将社会经历与晚年认知健康联系起来；（iii）在AD差异研究中纳入与移民和宗教相关的种族因素。
研究阿拉伯裔美国人的认知衰老为更全面地描绘造成和维持健康差异的因素提供了一个创新契机，对成因和后果都有独特见解。
