Announcing the Vietnamese Insights into Aging Program (VIP)‐ The First Cohort Study of Cognitive Aging in Vietnamese Americans

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundAsian Americans are the fastest growing racial population in the U.S; yet very little is known about their cognitive aging and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) risk. Vietnamese Americans are the largest Southeast Asian group and are at high risk for health disparities. Unlike other large Asian subgroups, due to their sociopolitical history and experiences as refugees, Vietnamese Americans have faced a significant amount of adversity and trauma. As Vietnamese Americans age and their susceptibility to ADRD increases, their context may provide unique understanding in terms of within‐group heterogeneity and reveal key factors in ADRD and cognitive aging. The Vietnamese Insights into Aging Program (VIP) is the first longitudinal study of older Vietnamese Americans and addresses the dearth of ADRD research in this high‐disparity population. The goal is to obtain estimates of cognitive impairment and dementia in the community and identify ADRD risk (e.g., early life trauma) and protective (e.g., social support) factors in this understudied population.MethodWe will enroll 540 Vietnamese (age ≥65 years) across two sites in Northern California. Participants will be seen annually over 3 years to assess cognitive change over time. The following data will be collected: 1) a full neuropsychological battery; 2) an extensive interview about early life history and trauma as well as psychological and sociocultural factors, and 3) cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, smoking, etc.). Assessments will be conducted in Vietnamese and take place at a community partner site. In collaboration with local community partners, extensive community outreach and education were conducted prior to study recruitment.ResultVIP has developed a protocol for the bilingual Vietnamese assessments which has been further refined by scientists, staff, and VIP’s community advisory board, many of whom are bicultural and bilingual Vietnamese American. VIP currently has a waitlist of over 250 participants as of January 2022. We aim to complete Time 1 assessments of all 540 participants by Spring 2023.ConclusionInnovative research with older Vietnamese Americans provides a unique opportunity to refine research methodology and more fully delineate the factors that contribute to ADRD disparities in underserved populations.