Ethnocultural Groups Research Articles

Evaluation of a Question Prompt List About Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Prevention After Hypertensive Pregnancy: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this study was to pilot test a question prompt list (QPL) about cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction after hypertensive pregnancy (HDP). In a prospective cohort study of adult women who had HDP given the QPL before and surveyed after a physician visit, we assessed perceived person-centred care, self-efficacy for self-management, perceived self-management and QPL feasibility. Twenty-three women participated: 57% of diverse ethno-cultural groups, 65% < 40 years of age and 48% immigrants. Most scored high for person-centred care (mean 4.1 ± 0.2/5); and moderately for self-efficacy (mean 7.4 ± 0.6/10) and self-management (mean 3.1 ± 0.3/5). Most appreciated QPL design and reported QPL benefits: helped them to prepare for the visit and know what to ask; increased confidence to ask questions, knowledge of the link between HDP and CVD and lifestyle behaviours to reduce CVD risk. Most reported that physicians were receptive to discussing QPL questions. Women appreciated the QPL and knowledge about self-management was high but self-efficacy for or perceived self-management was moderate. It appears feasible to share a QPL with ethno-culturally diverse women who can share it with physicians to facilitate discussions about post-pregnancy HDP-related CVD risk. This study involved women who experienced HDP and engaged ethno-culturally diverse women with lived experience of HDP as study advisors in all stages of the research.

Sociodemographic and Health Determinants of Loneliness in Older Immigrants in Canada: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The COVID pandemic brought to light the pressing issues of social isolation and loneliness for older adults. Immigrant older adults' experience of loneliness is even more exacerbated by factors, such as, language barriers, and the loss of cultural community. Key determinants of loneliness in older immigrants are not clear in the literature. A cross-sectional study was conducted in nine cities across Canada to: describe the experience of emotional, social and overall loneliness; and examine the determinants of loneliness among Punjabi, Mandarin, and Arabic-speaking older immigrants. A total of 647 older immigrants participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe their experience of loneliness, and multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the determinants of loneliness. Most participants had a post-secondary education, were married, and had been in Canada for about 16 years. On average, the participants reported good physical and mental health, and moderate levels of emotional, social, and overall loneliness. Ethnocultural group, emotional wellbeing, and depression were associated with emotional loneliness. Social loneliness was associated with education, depression, psychological distress, age, and ethnocultural group. Determinants of overall loneliness were age, gender, ethnocultural group, self-rated mental health, emotional wellbeing, depression, and psychological distress. Community based interventions that target these key factors must be designed to address loneliness experienced by older immigrants.

Pre-Mongolian Medieval Nomadic Monuments from the Saratov Region

The purpose of the article is to compile an up-to-date summary of the medieval nomad monuments dating back to the pre-Mongol period on the territory of the Saratov region. The following tasks are solved: cultural and chronological attribution of the complexes; their mapping; generalization and analysis of the data obtained in the context of the history of the Eastern European nomads. Various methods were used in the work: diachronic (periodization of the nomads existence in the studied territory), historical-systemic (study of nomadic society as a system) and historical-comparative (identification of general developmental patterns of nomadic societies), typological (typology and classification of the archaeological materials and complexes), and chronological (study of gradual development of the nomadic culture in the Lower Volga region). The main source of the study is the materials and publications on the nomadic archaeological sites from the Saratov region, as well as previous generalizing works on this topic. Data on 74 monuments are analyzed and mapped. The complexes are grouped into three natural and geographical zones (the basin of the Khopyor and Medveditsa rivers; the Volga Upland; and the Steppe Trans-Volga region). The complexes are also classified according to the three conditional chronological horizons: Saltovo-Mayaki (8th – 9th centuries); Oghuz-Pechenegs (9th – 11th centuries); and Polovtsian (late 11th – early 13th centuries). An attempt is made to correlate the well-known complexes of the Saltovo-Mayaki culture with its separate ethno-cultural groups (the Bulgars, the Khazars, and the Alans) and among the materials of the 9th –11th centuries to single out the Pecheneg and Oghuz components. The Polovtsian sculptures and the burials were correlated with written data on the groups of nomads from the Volga-Don steppes dating back to the middle of the 9th – early 13th centuries.

The ADNI4 Digital Study: A novel approach to recruitment, screening, and assessment of participants for AD clinical research.

We evaluated preliminary feasibility of a digital, culturally-informed approach to recruit and screen participants for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI4). Participants were recruited using digital advertising and completed digital surveys (e.g., demographics, medical exclusion criteria, 12-item Everyday Cognition Scale [ECog-12]), Novoic Storyteller speech-based cognitive test). Completion rates and assessment performance were compared between underrepresented populations (URPs: individuals from ethnoculturally minoritized or low education backgrounds) and non-URPs. Of 3099 participants who provided contact information, 654 enrolled in the cohort, and 595 completed at least one assessment. Two hundred forty-seven participants were from URPs. Of those enrolled, 465 met ADNI4 inclusion criteria and 237 evidenced possible cognitive impairment from ECog-12 or Storyteller performance. URPs had lower ECog and Storyteller completion rates. Scores varied by ethnocultural group and educational level. Preliminary results demonstrate digital recruitment and screening assessment of an older diverse cohort, including those with possible cognitive impairment, are feasible. Improving engagement and achieving educational diversity are key challenges. A total of 654 participants enrolled in a digital cohort to facilitate ADNI4 recruitment. Culturally-informed digital ads aided enrollment of underrepresented populations. From those enrolled, 42% were from underrepresented ethnocultural and educational groups. Digital screening tools indicate>50% of participants likely cognitively impaired. Completion rates and assessment performance vary by ethnocultural group and education.

Healthcare Professionals' Views of Supportive Care Needs for Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans with Metastatic Cancer.

The supportive care needs of people with metastatic cancer, particularly Asian Americans, are understudied. Distinct psychosocial support needs may exist across ethnocultural groups with Confucian-heritage values and norms. Cultural factors may shape how adults approach their oncologic care. This qualitative study represents the perspectives of 15 experienced healthcare professionals about the supportive care needs of Chinese-, Korean-, and Vietnamese-heritage (CKV) adults with metastatic solid cancers. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted with transcripts from three semi-structured focus groups and five parallel-format individual interviews. Inductive coding and iterative theme development resulted in four themes describing the types of needs (basic, care-related, mental health, relational trust) that should be met for CKV patients with metastatic cancer, which may fall through the gaps when the healthcare system and patient's differing cultural contexts collide. In conclusion, greater involvement of psychosocial care specialists with cultural expertise is essential to promote patients' and families' well-being, prevent care disparities, and better support the healthcare team. Systemic changes that increase workforce diversity, reduce language and insurance barriers, and allow healthcare professionals to build relational trust with patients, are needed to improve quality of life for CKV patients with metastatic cancer.

The problem of the attribution of burials of medieval nomads on the territory of the ukrainian steppe on the example of three burials from the Novosilsky kurgan complex

The article is devoted to the problem of attributing monuments of medieval nomads from the Ukrainian steppe in the period of X-XIV centuries on the example of three burials from the Novosilsky Kurgan group located in the North-Western Black Sea coast. The attribution of such burials is problematic for the archaeology of Ukraine. The number of modern studies on this topic is rather small, which is determined by the somewhat biased attitude of scientists towards the monuments of medieval nomads of the 10th-14th centuries as those left by a certain homogeneous community, as evidenced by the still used term "late nomads". However, such a strong generalization does not reflect reality. During the Middle Ages, the steppe of Ukraine was replaced one after another by waves of multi-ethnic nomads who migrated here from Central Asia. The ethnic diversity of the Pechenegs, Torks, Cumans, and the Central Asian peoples who came with the Mongols, but also their similarities, including the significant similarity of funeral rites, made it difficult to attribute and identify features for certain ethnocultural groups and chronological periods. The purpose of this paper is to trace possible solutions to this problem. Modern technologies can also help with this - namely, 3-D modelling of artefacts from burials, which allows us to learn the detailed parameters of each object and visualize it in high resolution. For this work, three 3-D models were created - one object from each burial site, which will be characterized in the paper. The models also perform an important task of preserving cultural heritage, because unfortunately, since 2014, because of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, nomadic monuments from the medieval steppe of Ukraine have been destroyed.

Ethno-National Policy of Ukraine in the Context of National Security: Problems and Prospects [Polityka etniczno-narodowa Ukrainy w kontekście bezpieczeństwa narodowego: problemy i perspektywy

The process of national consolidation is closely related to the implementation of a consistent ethno-national policy in accordance with modern conditions. The integration of Ukraine into the European Union is impossible without the regulation of ethno-national development processes in accordance with the standards of the European Union. The effectiveness of the state’s ethno-national policy depends on the extent to which its principles and tasks reflect the ethno-national situation in the country, ensure the participation of civil society in the processes of regulating ethno-national relations. The legislation of Ukraine in the field of ethno-national policy was formed under the influence of internal international relations and international legislation. The analysis of the content of the national legislation shows that it enshrines fundamental international norms regarding the protection of national minorities, at the same time, it also has certain shortcomings: blurred provisions, lack of specification of basic terms, obsolescence of the legislative acts themselves, etc. New political realities require revision of most of the adopted legislative acts. Neglecting issues of ethno-national development carries the danger of turning the ethno-national factor from a cultural asset into a source of conflicts and contradictions, leading to the loss of the тational security and country’s territorial integrity. Unregulated relations between ethno-cultural groups aggravate the problems of inter-ethnic communication, create conflict situations, etc. The adoption of the Concept of the State target national and cultural program “Unity in Diversity” for the period until 2034, which was developed in close consultation with national minorities (communities) with the involvement of representatives of the European Commission, the Council of Europe, and embassies of ethnically related national minorities (communities) of Ukraine.

Ethnocultural disparities in loneliness among women in Israel: A population-based study.

Loneliness was predicted for women in three ethnocultural groups in Israel: native Jews, Israeli Arabs, and Former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants. The study was based on Lund et al.'s (2018) conceptualization of social determinant domains of mental health disorders, as in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Social determinants were demographic, economic, social-cultural, and neighborhood factors. We examined whether ethnocultural disparities in loneliness persist when controlling for social determinants in these four domains or whether ethnic disparities are related to other forms of inequality among the three study groups, as reflected in these four domains. Next, we explored associations between the co-occurrence of key social determinants with loneliness. We used cross-sectional representative data of working-age women from the Israeli Social Survey (N = 5,600). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated a higher risk for loneliness among FSU immigrants and Israeli Arabs than among native Jews. Economic risk factors significantly increased the risk of loneliness. Social and cultural factors decreased the risk of loneliness, while discrimination increased it. Improved neighborhood conditions decreased the risk of loneliness. Ethnocultural disparities in loneliness diminished when economic determinants were controlled. Co-occurrence of risk factors greatly increased the risk for loneliness, demonstrating a stepped relationship. Developing supportive networks for women, mainly from minority groups, to increase trust and fight discrimination against any background is necessary. Moreover, significant efforts must be made to combat poverty and narrow socioeconomic inequalities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Policies in Canada fail to address disparities in access to person-centred osteoarthritis care: a content analysis

BackgroundWomen are disproportionately impacted by osteoarthritis (OA) but less likely than men to access OA care, particularly racialized women. One way to reduce inequities is through policies that can influence healthcare services. We examined how OA-relevant policies in Canada address equitable, person-centred OA care for women.MethodsWe used content analysis to extract data from English-language OA-relevant documents referred to as policies or other synonymous terms published in 2000 or later identified by searching governmental and other web sites. We used summary statistics to describe policy characteristics, person-centred care using McCormack’s six-domain framework, and mention of OA prevalence, barriers and strategies to improve equitable access to OA care among women.ResultsWe included 14 policies developed from 2004 to 2021. None comprehensively addressed all person-centred care domains, and few addressed individual domains: enable self-management (50%), share decisions (43%), exchange information (29%), respond to emotions (14%), foster a healing relationship (0%) and manage uncertainty (0%). Even when mentioned, content offered little guidance for how to achieve person-centred OA care. Few policies acknowledged greater prevalence of OA among women (36%), older (29%) or Indigenous persons (29%) and those of lower socioeconomic status (14%); or barriers to OA care among those of lower socioeconomic status (50%), in rural areas (43%), of older age (37%) or ethno-cultural groups (21%), or women (21%). Four (29%) policies recommended strategies for improving access to OA care at the patient (self-management education material in different languages and tailored to cultural norms), clinician (healthcare professional education) and system level (evaluate OA service equity, engage lay health leaders in delivering self-management programs, and offer self-management programs in a variety of formats). Five (36%) policies recommended research on how to improve OA care for equity-seeking groups.ConclusionsCanadian OA-relevant policies lack guidance to overcome disparities in access to person-centred OA care for equity-seeking groups including women. This study identified several ways to strengthen policies. Ongoing research must identify the needs and preferences of equity-seeking persons with OA, and evaluate the impact of various models of service delivery, knowledge needed to influence OA-relevant policy.

Navigating Between National Unity and Political Expediency: The Federal Government’s Response to Substate Identity Policy in Nigeria and Canada

What factors shape the federal or national governments’ responses to substate identity policies within deeply diverse federal systems? This article answers this question by analysing the role of the President or Prime Minister as ‘bearers’ of national unity, when confronted with (exclusivist) identity policies that may threaten the inclusion of all citizens, in particular minorities residing in jurisdictions dominated by a dominant (ethnocultural, linguistic or religious) group. The empirical evidence draws on the experiences of Canada and Nigeria, focusing in particular on the tension over secularism and the Muslim veil in Québec public institutions, and the adoption of Sharia by twelve Muslim-majority states in Nigeria. The paper demonstrates that while the need to uphold cultural diversity could explain the federal government’s responses to the identity policies implemented in these regions, the primary driver of the responses was the president and prime minister’s political goal of re-election and retaining power. The paper contributes to the literature by stressing the similarities in the political reflexes and strategies utilized by political actors in managing the tension between the constitutional principles of self-rule and shared rule in two federations that are often thought to be so different and, hence, incomparable.

On the transcreation, format and actionability of healthcare translations

In public-health crises, members of multilingual communities must be able to access, understand, trust and act upon behaviour-change messaging. The role of translators is therefore critical, not only for the relaying of information but also in the transcreation of texts, understood as adaptation to suit the characteristics of an intended audience. Failure to use transcreation may produce messaging that is culturally inappropriate and thus ineffective. This study analyses healthcare resources created by governments in Australia with a view to identifying formatting and other visual features that would benefit from transcreation. A mixed-method approach combined numerical evaluation of four documents using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) and a bottom-up thematic analysis of the way the same texts were discussed by 58 members of a broad range of ethnocultural and linguistic groups in Victoria, Australia. The findings point to a need to go beyond the linguistic aspects of the translation and take into account the discourse organisation, layout, images and cultural appropriateness of health messaging. The implications of applying the PEMAT criteria are not only that start texts will become more accessible and better able to facilitate understanding-based trust relations, but also that translators are well placed to participate in the transcreations that may be required in the various target languages.

Satisfaction, engagement, and outcomes in internet-delivered cognitive behaviour therapy adapted for people of diverse ethnocultural groups: an observational trial with benchmarking.

Depression and anxiety are the most common mental health disorders worldwide. Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (ICBT) can reduce barriers to care to broad cross sections of the population. However, People of Diverse Ethnocultural Backgrounds (PDEGs) other than White/Caucasian underutilize mental health services and are under represented in clinical trials of psychological interventions. To address this research gap we adapted an evidence-based ICBT program for PDEGs. The current pilot study explores the engagement, satisfaction, and effectiveness in the adapted ICBT program by PDEGs (N=41) when benchmarked against a sample of PDEGs (N=134) who previously completed a non-adapted version of the ICBT program. An intent-to-treat analyses showed that the adapted ICBT program is effective in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms among PDEGs. Large within-group pre-to post-treatment Cohen's effect sizes of d = 1.23, 95% CI [0.68, 1.77] and d = 1.24, 95% CI [0.69, 1.79] were found for depression and anxiety, respectively. Further, 81.8% of the PDEGs who received the adapted ICBT reported overall satisfaction, 90.9% reported increased confidence in managing symptoms, and 70.7% completed majority of the psychoeducational lessons in the ICBT program. No statistically significant differences in the clinical outcomes, engagement, and satisfaction were found between the pilot study and benchmark sample. Future directions for ICBT research with PDEGs are described. https://beta.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05523492, identifier NCT05523492.

“Stop Imposing on Us”: A Critical Examination of Ethnocultural Considerations in the Canadian Volunteer Hospice Palliative Care Landscape

Volunteers are foundational in hospice programs. The purpose of this research was to address social, ethnic and demographic changes in Southwestern Ontario and understand how this may affect volunteer recruitment, and representation. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with hospice volunteers, key informants from leaders in ethnocultural communities, and hospice staff. Qualitative data from the interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis in five phases. Findings suggest ethnocultural interpretations of hospice can be very different than Westernized, Eurocentric ideas around end-of-life care. Systemic and structural barriers, information sharing, volunteer motivation and representation were found to influence and impact ethnocultural volunteer recruitment in hospice palliative care. Using a critical analysis allows us to identify the “imposition” of a Euro-ethnocentric hospice palliative care model that prevents recruitment of and impedes access of ethnocultural groups to hospice palliative care. To build bridges across predominantly White/Western models of care to ethnocultural racialized communities requires constant communication, relationship building, and determination in mutuality of learning on behalf of the dominant model. This research has implications for different regions of Canada providing hospice palliative care and hoping to increase ethnocultural accessibility and volunteer recruitment for hospice palliative care.

Priority strategies to reduce socio-gendered inequities in access to person-centred osteoarthritis care: Delphi survey

ObjectivesOsteoarthritis (OA) prevalence, severity and related comorbid conditions are greater among women compared with men, but women, particularly racialised women, are less likely than men to access OA care. We...

Ethnical Identity and Ethno-Cultural Needs of the Russian Urban Population in the Republic of Tatarstan

This article considers the features of “ethnic culture” and its place in the everyday and spiritual life of the Russian urban population of the Republic of Tatarstan. Its symbolic and functional importance for various sociodemographic groups is explored. The population of Tatarstan is viewed as a single historical and ethnographic community descending from the Great Russians of the Volga region. The structure of the social identity types and the characteristics of ethno-cultural group practices are described. Special attention is paid to how social space and ethno-cultural needs are related. The comparative analysis of different social groups of the urban and rural Russian residents of Tatarstan is carried out. The study employs the hermeneutic approach to decipher social phenomena with symbolic meanings. The theoretical insights and generalizations are based on the materials of a comprehensive ethno-sociological study performed on the modern Russian population of Tatarstan in 2022 with the help of both quantitative (mass survey) and qualitative (in-depth interviews, focus group) methods. The results obtained show a direct relationship between the type of ethnic identity and the level of ethno-cultural needs among the Russian urban population of Tatarstan. It is also concluded that many ethno-cultural practices, from the ritualized tradition to personal interiorization, have transformed under the influence of the socio-cultural landscape of the city.

Scientific Acculturation in Russian Turkestan: from Collecting Antiquities to the Practice of Scientific Research

In this article an attempt is made to comprehend the possibilities of applying acculturation approaches to the description of the history of scientific work, scientific societies in Turkestan, as well as joint activities of Russian orientalists and local local historians — “antiquity lovers” in the study of history, archaeology, ethnography, numismatics, cultural heritage of the peoples of Central Asia in the late 19th — early 20th centuries. The article deals with how the traditions of collecting and gathering antiquities among the local population of Turkestan under the influence of the emerging socio-cultural and scientific environment, represented by Russian orientalists, gradually acquired its scientific form. In particular, this contributed to the involvement of local local historians in the scientific study of the region, their mastering of techniques and methods of scientific work with sources and archaeological artifacts, their participation in one of the first and significant scientific societies of Turkestan — Turkestan Circle of Amateurs of Archaeology (TKLA). Involvement of scientific literature and rethinking of archival sources allow us to trace how under the influence of Russian orientalists and “big science” the attitude of local local local historians to antiquities changed, and they came to realize the necessity of its study, careful preservation and the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of the peoples of Central Asia. At the same time, using acculturation approaches, one can see that communication and contacts between representatives of two different ethno-cultural and social groups had a great influence on each other, contributing to scientific and moral transformations. What moved local local historians when they participated in scientific activities? How significant was the influence of acculturation and do acculturation approaches to the history of Turkestan “work” in the study and development of this problem? Local local historians, cooperating with Russian orientalists in the socio-cultural field, contributed to laying the foundations of national archeology, establishment of archeological research, formation of the first numismatic and manuscript collections, provided invaluable assistance to Russian orientalists in the study of local topography, ethnography, history and culture of the peoples of Central Asia. Methodological basis of the study is the concept of acculturation.

Prospects for the development of ethnocultural parks in Kazakhstan

The article discusses the potential for the development of ethnocultural parks and ethnic tourism in Kazakhstan. The main directions and problems of development of this field of activity are revealed. The importance of the development of ethnocultural and geographical parks in ethnotourism is noted, as one of the decisive factors determining the prospects for the development of tourism in Kazakhstan, which occupies a special place in the field of internal and external tourism. The rich heritage, demonstration of cultural and everyday achievements, and the increasing high demand for traditions, characteristics and customs of the Kazakh people have a great influence on the development of ethnocultural tourism. Ethnic tourism is considered an integral part of cultural and educational tourism. In developed countries, ethnic parks are a highly profitable activity in the tourism industry. Therefore, further diversification of ethnic theme parks is considered a priority in ethnic tourism. It is ethnic parks that make it possible to discover, preserve and develop the traditions and customs of diverse ethnocultural groups by immersing themselves in the historical, national, geographical, sociocultural, human, legal and environmental environment.

Lunchbox shaming: recollections of school lunchtime by young Canadians of Asian descent

ABSTRACT Children’s home-packed lunches to school reflect family’s culinary cultures, social locations, and unique food norms. At Canadian elementary schools, children of Asian heritage sometimes experience “lunchbox shaming” – feeling embarrassed for bringing foods that are seen deviant from dominant food norms. This study explored the recollections of school lunchtime by 25 young adults (aged 17–25 years) from three largest Asian ethnocultural groups (Chinese, Indian, and Filipino) in Toronto, Canada. Two parents of the participants also joined follow-up interviews to provide their insights. Our analysis focused on four layers of meanings at micro-level (personal experiences and emotions), meso-level (family food practices, school food environment), macro-level (socio-historical discourses), and interactional-level (researchers’ positionalities). Many participants recalled painful experiences being teased by classmates of their “stinky” lunch, throwing away homemade lunches, or asking parents to pack “normal” lunches to fit in. Conversely, a few shared positive memories of their lunches being praised and felt proud of their culinary heritage. Many reportedly felt a need to balance affiliation to both their home and school food cultures while growing up in Canada. We conclude by discussing the implications of the study findings for the ongoing debate on Canada’s national school food program and food literacy education.

Depression and the relationship between neurocognition and functional status and decline within ethnoculturally diverse middle and older adults

AbstractBackgroundEthnoculturally diverse (e.g., non‐Latinx Black (NLB), Latinx) older adults are up to twice as likely as non‐Latinx White (NLW) older adults to experience depressive symptoms. While the relationship between neurocognition (NC) and functional status (e.g., everyday functioning) in older adults is well‐established, the impact of depression remains unclear in diverse populations. We assessed the influence of depression on the relationship between NC and functional status in a sample of Latinx, NLB, and NLW middle‐aged/older adults.MethodThis cross‐sectional study included 50 NLB, 45 Latinx, and 38 NLW (N = 133) adults (59% female; 39% with HIV; M age = 65.3, SD = 6.69; M ed = 13.9, SD = 3.22) who completed the Beck Depression Inventory‐II (BDI‐II), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, and a comprehensive NC battery. Demographically‐corrected T‐scores were used to compute global NC and domain average T‐scores (global cognition, executive function, learning, memory, verbal fluency). The BDI‐II Total Score (BDI‐tot), Cognitive‐Affective Subscale (BDI‐cog), Functional‐Somatic Subscale (BDI‐som), current functional status (ADL‐tot), and decline over time (ADL‐dec) were computed. A series of hierarchical linear regressions (HLRs; Step 1: BDI‐tot; Step 2: NC global/domain NP T‐scores) were computed to predict ADL‐dec in each ethnocultural group. To assess age effects in this relationship, additional HLRs (Step 1: BDI‐tot, age, BDI‐tot×age and Step 2: NC global T‐score) were computed.ResultBDI‐tot, BDI‐cog, and BDI‐som were significantly correlated with ADL‐dec (r s = .58‐.64, ps&lt;.01) in NLW adults. However, in NLB adults, only BDI‐cog was correlated with ADL‐dec (r = .51, p&lt;.01), while in Latinx adults, both BDI‐tot and BDI‐som were significantly related to ADL‐dec (r s = .38, ps &lt;.05). Within NLB adults, BDI‐tot accounted for 15‐16% of the variance in ADL‐dec (ps&lt;.05), but NC scores did not uniquely contribute to the model/s (ΔR 2 = 0‐.11, ps&gt;.05). Across ethnocultural groups, BDI‐tot×age did not significantly predict ADL‐dec. However, in the NLW group BDI‐tot×age was a significant predictor of ADL‐tot (ΔR 2 = .53, p&lt;.05).ConclusionDepressive symptoms are associated with functional decline, particularly in NLB middle/older adults. Cognitive‐affective symptoms may better predict functional status in middle/older NLB adults, while somatic‐functional symptoms are associated with functional decline in Latinx middle/older adults. Future studies should examine the longitudinal impact of depression on functional status/NC within ethnoculturally diverse older adults.

Mobile Toolbox: Remote, unsupervised longitudinal assessment of a diverse cohort in the UCSF Brain Health Registry

AbstractBackgroundA critical need in the AD field is development and validation of efficient, scalable cognitive assessments to identify older adults with cognitive impairment. The Mobile Toolbox (MTB), a novel suite of app‐based cognitive assessments, was developed to address this need. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility, usability, compliance, longitudinal retention, and validity of MTB assessment in a large, ethnoculturally and educationally diverse cohort in a remote, unsupervised setting.MethodParticipants were recruited from the UCSF Brain Health Registry (BHR), an online study. BHR participants were invited by email, screened for eligibility (English fluency and access to a compatible smartphone), and provided online instructions for MTB app download. All participants could complete a baseline administration. A subset was invited to a longitudinal study, in which they complete MTB assessments at a short‐term timepoint (day 7, 14, or 21; study arms sequentially assigned), and then at 6‐month intervals. Enrollment goals were N = 800 with equal distribution across 10‐year age bands (ages 18‐80+); 60% with &lt;16 years of education; 10% non‐Latinx Black, 15% Latinx, and 5% non‐White other ethnocultural identity.ResultOver a 5‐month period, 48,110 BHR participants were invited to the study. Of those, 8287 (17%) expressed interest, 3554 (7%) completed baseline assessment, and 1327 (3%) were assigned to the longitudinal study. Participants submitted 1205 help tickets asking for email support to complete MTB. The baseline and longitudinal cohorts underrepresented Black individuals and younger age bands, despite targeted recruitment efforts (Table 1). Longitudinal completion rates were 59.0% for the short‐term timeline and 55.2% for the 6‐month timepoint, and varied by ethnocultural group (Figure 1). Compared to those invited, those who enrolled in the longitudinal study were older, had higher education, and were more likely to identify as female non‐Latinx White (p&lt;0.05).ConclusionResults demonstrate feasibility and usability of remote, unsupervised MTB assessment. Underrepresented populations were less likely to enrolled and to complete assessments at baseline and longitudinally, emphasizing the need to develop more inclusive recruitment and engagement efforts. This approach can be scaled up to efficiently assess cognition in many research, clinical trial, and healthcare settings.