Abstract
Background: Subjective memory impairment (SMI) is associated with negative health outcomes including mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. However, ethnic differences in SMI and disparities in risk factors associated with SMI among minority populations are understudied. The study examined the ethnic differences in SMI, whether SMI was associated with depressive symptoms, sleep, and physical activity (PA), and whether the associations vary across racial/ethnic groups. Methods: Participants included 243 African and Asian Americans (including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean Americans) aged 50 or older. Demographic information, SMI, depressive symptoms, daily sleeping hours, and PA levels were assessed. Results: Vietnamese Americans reported the highest SMI score. Depressive symptoms, sleeping hours, and PA levels were significantly associated with SMI. Depressive symptoms were the only significant factor across all ethnic groups. Significant interaction effects were found between ethnicity and health behaviors in predicting SMI. In particular, Vietnamese American participants with greater depressive symptoms and physical inactivity were significantly more likely to experience SMI compared to other ethnic groups Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate ethnic differences in SMI and its association with depressive symptoms, sleep, and PA, which highlight the importance of considering the unique cultural and historical backgrounds across different racial/ethnic groups when examining cognitive functioning in elderly.
Highlights
Subjective memory impairment (SMI), which is often referred to as subjective memory complaints or perceived cognitive impairment, is a self-reported cognitive problem characterized by complaints associated with declines in memory, attention, language, and problem-solving skills [1,2,3]
To confirm ethnic differences in SMI controlling for demographic variables, multinomial regression analysis was conducted with dependent variables being African American, Vietnamese Americans, and East Asian
We further found that overall, participants in our study who endorsed greater depressive symptoms, fewer hours of sleep, trouble remaining asleep, and low levels of physical activity were more likely to report SMI when controlling for demographic characteristics
Summary
Subjective memory impairment (SMI), which is often referred to as subjective memory complaints or perceived cognitive impairment, is a self-reported cognitive problem characterized by complaints associated with declines in memory, attention, language, and problem-solving skills [1,2,3]. Only one study has examined national trends in SMI, reporting greater rates of SMI in ethnic and racial minorities, including Hispanic, Black, and Asian groups, compared to non-Hispanic White Americans over the period from 1997 to 2015 [22]. The positive impact of physical activity on cognitive decline and dementia may be attributed to stimulation of cerebral blood flow, neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity [36] and lowered risk of depression [42,43,44] These findings raise the possibility for an association between physical activity and SMI as well. Clarifying ethno-racial differences in SMI and addressing potential risk factors for SMI specific to Asian American subgroups and African Americans helps lay the foundation for the development of tailored interventions to reduce cognitive impairment and to improve quality of life in each ethnic group
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