Sun Fei, Wang Kaipeng, Shen Yan, Gao Xiang, Prieto Lucas R
School of Social Work, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA.
Int Psychogeriatr. 2023 Jan;35(1):43-53. doi: 10.1017/S1041610221001289. Epub 2021 Nov 2.
This study examined the change in dementia literacy and dementia worry over a 5-year span among older Chinese Americans living in Arizona.
DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, AND MEASUREMENT: This study used survey data collected among a purposive sample of 703 community-dwelling Chinese Americans aged 55 years or older living in the metropolitan areas of Phoenix, Arizona, from 2013 to 2017. The average age of participants was 73.1 (SD = 8.7) and 64.2% were female. Dementia literacy was measured by dementia knowledge (knowledge about Alzheimer's disease and related dementia) and dementia beliefs (biased attitude toward dementia). Dementia worry was measured by assessing participants' fear toward and concerns of developing dementia.
Regression analyses found dementia knowledge decreased ( < 0.05) and dementia beliefs remained unchanged ( > 0.05) from 2013 to 2017 among participants. Dementia worry only increased among those who lived alone. Significant correlates of dementia worry included low formal education level, depressive symptoms, and family conflict.
Public health education targeting older Chinese Americans should aim to enhance dementia knowledge and to rectify their biased attitudes toward dementia. Psychosocial education or counseling should be available to older Chinese Americans who present dementia worry, particularly for those who live alone. More studies using diverse study designs, such as a longitudinal design, are needed to examine change in dementia literacy and worry among this population.
本研究调查了居住在亚利桑那州的美籍华裔老年人在5年时间里痴呆症认知和痴呆症担忧的变化。
设计、地点、参与者和测量方法：本研究使用了2013年至2017年期间从亚利桑那州凤凰城大都市区703名年龄在55岁及以上的社区居住美籍华裔中选取的有目的样本收集的调查数据。参与者的平均年龄为73.1岁（标准差 = 8.7），64.2%为女性。痴呆症认知通过痴呆症知识（关于阿尔茨海默病及相关痴呆症的知识）和痴呆症信念（对痴呆症的偏见态度）来衡量。痴呆症担忧通过评估参与者对患痴呆症的恐惧和担忧来衡量。
回归分析发现，从2013年到2017年，参与者的痴呆症知识有所下降（<0.05），而痴呆症信念保持不变（>0.05）。痴呆症担忧仅在独居者中有所增加。痴呆症担忧的显著相关因素包括低学历、抑郁症状和家庭冲突。
针对美籍华裔老年人的公共健康教育应旨在增强痴呆症知识并纠正他们对痴呆症的偏见态度。对于有痴呆症担忧的美籍华裔老年人，尤其是独居者，应提供心理社会教育或咨询。需要更多采用不同研究设计（如纵向设计）的研究来调查该人群痴呆症认知和担忧的变化。
