Asian American and Pacific Islanders’ Attitudes on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundAsian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are the fastest growing minority population in the United States. While 14% of older AAPIs have been reported to experience memory loss and confusion, the prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in the AAPI population are not well understood. Moreover, little is known about AAPI attitudes on memory loss and confidence in managing ADRD.MethodWe administered an 8‐item survey on attitudes and beliefs regarding memory loss and ADRD to attendees of a virtual conference on brain health. Responses were on a 5‐point Likert scale with range of 1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree. We analyzed responses (agree/strongly agree vs. disagree/strongly disagree) of AAPI participants and non‐AAPI attendees using chi‐square test.ResultFifty‐four participants completed the survey, with majority of respondents aged 65 years or older (56%) and women (72%). AAPI participants (N = 37) self‐identified to be Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Non‐AAPI respondents (N = 14) self‐identified to be White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native. We found that compared to non‐AAPI, AAPI individuals were less confident in navigating the healthcare system for persons with ADRD (p = 0.049). AAPI respondents were also less confident in finding community resources for ADRD, though this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.073). We found no significant differences between AAPI and non‐AAPI participants’ attitudes and beliefs on the normality of memory loss with age, understanding of ADRD as a medical condition, or interest in participating in and understanding of clinical trials for ADRD.ConclusionAsian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have less confidence in navigating the complex healthcare system for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). More research is needed to better characterize the differences in prevalence, presentation, challenges, and outcomes of ADRD in the AAPI population.